The Ties That Free Us
by breakingdawn77
Summary: Five years of peace. Something that Danielle never knew that she could have. But as the years passed, she realized she wanted one thing: To pave her own path and the choices ahead. One filled with ghost fighting and the glory that came with it, the other a normal life with family. Which one? But then he returned. "Suprised I'm back?" Danielle sighed, "No. More like annoyed."
1. Chapter 1: The Years Passed

**CH. 1! I am so excited for you guys to read this. This is the endgame for the series. Better buckle up, because trust me, there will have plenty of bumps along the way. Thank you for coming along on this wonderful journey with me as we discover just who Danielle and her family really are as characters and the stories they hold. It's been one hell of a ride. Without further ado, I give you: The Ties That Free Us. Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Nickelodeon does.**

 **Summary: Five years of peace. Something that Danielle never knew that she could have. But as the years passed, Danielle realized she wanted one thing: To pave her own path and the choices ahead. One filled with ghost fighting and the glory that came with it, the other a normal life with family. Which one would she choose? A life of living up to her dad's legacy and the burden that comes with it, could she even live up to that? Or does she want a life that she was denied the first two years of her life? So many choices, so little time. But then all her questions and fumblings in her head were put to a halt.**

 **He returned. "Suprised I'm back?"**

 **Danielle sighed, giving a long roll of her baby blues. "Surprised? Nah, not really. Annoyed? Definitely."**

* * *

"I'm gonna need you to stop the traffic light on Elm and Maple."

No answer.

"Aunt Jazz?"

No answer.

 _"Aunt Jazz!"_

Her voice finally tore through the intercom. "Yeah yeah, I'm programming it as we speak. You are such your father's daughter. I don't have to do this, you know."

Was she serious right now? They were _literally_ in the middle of a high-speed chase, and she chose _now_ to be in a cranky mood. Danielle knew wedding planning was a hard job to do, but her parents weren't so stressed when they did it. Then again, they had a wedding planner, but Aunt Jazz had insisted that she and Uncle Roy did the whole thing with the family members' opinions weighing them down, even though Nana and Papa Manson said they would happily pay for a planner.

With her anger seething under the surface, Danielle did her best to remain calm. But she knew it broke through some. "This is your _job,_ or at least part-time!"

"Then I don't get paid enough."

 _That's it, I'm talking to uncle Roy about this._ Sighing, she patted the D on her chest off, ending the conversation. Rolling her eyes, Danielle continued sailing through the sky, cutting through the hazy summer breeze that caressed her skin as she flew in the opposite direction that the wind was pushing for. Buildings blurred, blending into one another as she zoomed past.

Shoving her conversation with her aunt to the back of her mind, she honed in on the car. Danielle sighed in relief as the streetlights froze on red, halting all cars in additional to the one she was trailing. _Good. This should be easy enough._

Car horns honked in confusion as people started exiting their vehicles to find out why every stoplight had turned red. Upon seeing Danielle soaring through the sky, mumbles of understanding briefly caught her ear as she passed the cars. She quickly ignored the cheering that started as citizens assumed her heroic duty.

She pressed the D on her chest thrice to contact everyone. "Okay, I have them in my sight. Mom, dad, I'll be sending them your way, so be ready." Both Danny and Sam mumbled something in agreement. Speeding up, Danielle easily increased momentum as her eyes locked onto her target—a sleek, black 2004 Mercedes. She turned invisible and without a warning, overshadowed the driver.

She quickly glanced to the side to see the passenger side occupied with a man with a ski mask; from what she could see from his hands, he had pale skin, greasy brown hair from the little tuffs that pushed out at the end of the mask, and ratty old clothing. His hand clutched the handle of the car door, hanging on as the car continued to swerve between lanes.

She kept peeking between him and the road to see him loosen his grip on the handle to try to open the door, only to be met with the friction of the lock as it resisted to release the door open. The adrenaline that surged through his body only intensified as everything blurred past his window, his possessed friend driving unbelievably fast.

"Let me out please, I didn't want this in the first place; all I wanted was to save my little girl."

Danielle looked at the masked man in confusion, only taking her eyes off of the road for a second. "Little girl?"

Even with all other cars stilled on the street, Danielle was still having trouble not crashing into other people. She really preferred flying over driving.

"My 7-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer about a month ago. My wife and I don't have the means to pay for her hospital bills so this shmuck," The masked man pointed the body that Danielle was now overshadowing. "Told me that if I helped him with a job that he would give me enough money for my daughters treatments, but I never wanted any of this. Now I'm not sure if I will ever see her again after this. Or my wife for that matter."

 _Poor guy. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Just how the world goes. Change of plans._

Danielle could see the guilt building up in his eyes as he continued to talk more to himself than anything. "Gosh, this was a mistake. I wish I could turn back time and take it all back."

Danielle once again looked at the man with the sparkle of an idea in her eye. she pressed the D on her chest and signaled her uncle Dan. "Hey, Dan Dan, you there?" Glancing in the rearview mirror, Danielle could see traffic starting up in small quantities.

 _Great._

A low growl could be heard over the intercom, making her force back a chuckle. "I told you not to call me that. What do you need, pipsqueak?"

Another car was successfully avoided. She gave a light tap to the gas with her foot. She was pushing sixty, but she needed to make it to her destination before traffic started completely back up. They wouldn't listen to the lights for long, no one ever did in Amity. With ghost attacks being an average thing, everyone was pretty numbed to travel laws. "I need a clock reversal in about ten minutes. Also, tell Dad and them to hold back. Plans have changed. I'll take care of it, just have them do the usual clean up of the city after."

"You know, she's not going to like that."

She rolled her eyes, trying to keep a steady steer with the wheel. This guy's muscular hands were a pain to control. "Yeah, well unlike the rest of us at the moment, _she has the time."_

He sighed, but seemed to relent. "Fine, but you owe me. And don't think pizza can buy your way out of this mess like it used to. Nothing in Amity compares to authentic Chicago."

Another car passed, only this one had been driving in her lane and missed her by a beat— and yes, she was in the wrong lane, but if people would listen to the stupid lights, that wouldn't have happened— _idiot._

"Stop drooling and get her here. _And make it fast!"_ Danielle yelled as she nearly hit an oncoming charter bus.

The passenger, who was frozen to his seat the entire time, became animated once more. He even ripped his mask off, not caring that she would be able to identify him now.

With that he yelled, "What the heck! I thought a superhero would know how to drive properly!"

She shot him a warning glare, getting a glimpse of his soft structured cheeks, clean chiseled jawline, and oddly crooked nose, before returning her eyes on the road ahead of her. "Hey, I'm trying to help you out here, could you dial back the criticism just a bit."

He didn't look at all convinced as headlights reflected off of the windshield. She thankfully dogged it at the last minute, however, and she could see the relief sag into his shoulders.

With a slight scowl she added, "Besides, I do know how to drive. I was just taught by my Grandpa, that's all."

That relief was short lived as she did her best to swerve past the remaining traffic on the streets as more moving cars showed up. While keeping one hand on the steering wheel, she shifted the upper portion of her body out of the window.

She shouted to the sea of cars, "Come on, people! Ugh, you'd think people _would recognize a red light!"_

 _Just another normal day in my life. I wonder how grandma's doing in New York, I hope she's doing okay._

Realizing that she should focus on her task on hand, Danielle tried not to laugh as he gave her a sideways glance.

Out of nowhere, he said, "You have a lot of anger issues. You know, my therapist told me that when you're under stress it's best to— _Oh sweet Mother Teresa!"_

An oncoming eighteen wheeler was about to make a collision with them head-on. Danielle placed her hands on the dash of the car, causing it to phase through the oncoming truck narrowly escaping death.

With his back glued against the leather seat, and feet firmly planted on the floor of the car, he cracked his head to the side just enough to look at Danielle with eyes opened in fear. Breathing in a sigh of relief, she said, "Woah, that was close."

Danielle shifted her eyes to the passenger to see a look of frustration on his face, eyes screaming at her as he stilled against the car seat.

"Why didn't you just do that before?" he said.

She swiveled the car, just slightly out of spite; she may have been helping him, but he couldn't comprehend the hardships of her job.

"Do you _know_ how much energy it takes it takes to temporarily shift an entire car to another dimension?! No? Then zip it!"

Sending a sharp glare to her, he grumbled out, "You know, your bedside manner could use some adjusting."

"That's not what your mom said last night!"

Danielle heard the all too familiar voice of her youngest brother— he looked to be around fifteen, maybe sixteen if she had to guess— from the future as he kept pace with the speeding car. A time medallion hung largely around his neck. Danielle somehow smiled out of her annoyance. "So, if you're here Speedy, that means Lily is too?"

"Ten-four, big sis! Why aren't you breaking?"

She did as requested, putting pressure on the break, but instead of the car coming to a rolling stop, the petal wouldn't budge. It wouldn't allow her to slow down the car so much as a couple miles, no matter how much weight she put on it. Her eyes snapped to DJ's, fear contorting her face.

 _Oh, no._

"Uh kid, we have a problem."

Still keeping pace, and yelling over the rapid wind that pressed against them, he tried his best to reassure his sister. "Don't worry, I got ya. Your ride is nice, but it's a bit heavy for my taste."

DJ quickly became a green blurred circle around them as piece by piece the car slowly was dismantled; as each part was removed their speed slowed down, until all that was left was the frame and the two people hugging in the front seat.

Danielle, who was too busy consoling the crying adult in her arms, did not realize that they were now stilled. She awkwardly patted his back and shushing him over his shoulder as snot soaked into her suit. "It's okay, it's okay. We'll do everything we can to help you and your family out."

Tears and snot now ran down the man's face as he pulled back from the embrace. "She's my whole world. I would do anything for her."

DJ just looked at the two in confusion. "So um... You're welcome?"

Unbuckling the seatbelt that still remained strapped around her torso, she floated over to her younger sibling. Stepping out of the one man's body, she easily made a wad of ectoplasm, tied him up, and kept him close in case he woke.

She then turned to her brother. "Hey Speedy, before you take off, I think we're going to need _you_ to do your magic _."_

His crystal eyes that matched his sister's widened in horror, his weightless steps easily propelling himself backward several feet. "Oh no... Every time we do one of those, you punch me way too hard."

She scoffed at DJ's cowardliness. "Come on twerp, you can take it."

"I'm _so_ telling on you to Mom and Dad."

"Yeah yeah, just hurry up before the police get here."

DJ was much better at possessions than she was. Even though she could move the body, it never came naturally to her like it did to DJ, and even like her father. The problem was, DJ got too into it, relishing in his power, so she frequently had to knock him out for him to be able to separate from the body.

The former bank robber, Danielle had yet to catch his name, came stumbling from the leftover car, still shaken. "Wait, why the heck is he grinning!?" the man asked in total fear of the smirk on DJ's face. He did enjoy overshadowing a little too much, in her opinion.

DJ quickly overshadowed the raggedy man, making him float ominously in the air just as the police showed up. "I am _OVERKILL_ and you will all bow before me, puny humans!"

She didn't understand why DJ idolized her uncle so much.

That was the moment that the police decided to arrive. They had always done their best to protect the town as a whole but there were just some things everyday people—with or without ecto guns—could handle.

Danielle looked on for a moment as the police had surrounded them, circling almost the entire block, with their weapons at the ready. "Aim!"

That's when she took her queue, jumping in front of the officers before they could move their weapons.

Using her best heroic voice that her dad had taught her, much to her mom's embarrassment, she called out, "Wait! This ghost has clearly possessed an innocent man. If you fire upon him, you would be hurting someone who had nothing to do with the crime that was committed!"

DJ looked to the people below him as he flew just a bit higher, in the unlikely case they started to shoot at him. "Silence, puny hero! Or else you will feel my awesome might, the likes of which your tiny mind could not begin to comprehend!"

 _And he wonders why I hit him so hard._

Danielle zoomed to her little brother, punching him right out of the man's body as he dropped safely to the cushioned car seat DJ had been floating above. "You just made this so much easier, Overkill!" Danielle quickly threw DJ to the ground.

The hero's voice was becoming too much, even to her own ears, but she wanted to sell it. If they weren't convinced, they would be in deep trouble. She was beginning to understand why her mom hated it so much.

She yelled to him, "It's over, Mr. Overkill!" _If I say that name one more time, I will put some force into my punch._ "I have been waiting to capture you for a long time. Now, taste ghost justice, you fiend!"

She gave DJ a knowing smile as he just froze in place, eyes narrowing as he laid crushed up on the seat. "Really...?"

Danielle wasted no time in taking out her Fenton Thermos and encased her speedy brother inside.

One officer out of the bunch walked up to Danielle, almost no color dampened his face, it was almost as if he had... seen a ghost. _Heh, I'm too much like my dad._

The way officer's adam's apple bobbled up and down while he tried to force his words out was hilarious. "Thanks again, Danielle. Normally, we can handle these sort of issues but I have to admit we had no idea that man was overshadowed. Thank you for your service."

Then the man that Danielle hadn't possessed began to stir on the car seat. His head swayed a bit before he shifted from his resting spot against the seat. His hand flew to his head as he tried to steady his surroundings. "Ugh, what happened, and why do I smell like Axe? Wasn't I just-"

Before he could continue, Danielle interrupted, using the same voice that she had used on the officers. "Yes, we know. This foul man came to your door with a plan to rob a bank, and the ghost overshadowing you made you agree to this man's criminal plan. But worry not proud citizen, you are free from his tyranny and can go back to your normal life. Now come with me! We must make sure he did not leave any unwanted side effects."

 _Gosh, I sound like an extremely patriotic muppet._

* * *

Danielle took the man back to Fenton Works where Lilith and Tucker were waiting for her, Tucker stood uncomfortably in the corner, while Lilith sat on the couch with a face void of emotion. The rest of her family was still out, doing their usual rounds after something like this happened to make sure every citizen was okay.

Danielle could tell that she was definitely masking her anger. "So sis, who is _he_?"

 _Well._

 _I'm in trouble._

She strode over to Tucker, shielding herself behind her boyfriend, who stood several feet away from her younger sister.

Her lips fell into a sheepish smile. "He's someone who could use a break. I promised I would help him and his family."

Pushing herself from the couch, Lilith stalked over to the two, arms crossed and eyebrows raised: the very embodiment of fear itself. "So, what do you want me to do? I can't just rewrite today, otherwise this whole scenario will just get time tangled."

Tucker's body stiffened as Lilith neared them, but immediately relaxed under Danielle's touch as she began to rub little circles in the small of his back. It was the little things. "Yeah I know, also find a better name than time tangled. But what I need you to do is go back and alter his crook buddy's memories to make sure that when the police interrogate him, he doesn't remember this guy here..."

She paused for a moment, eyes going to the man awkwardly standing at the entryway of the door. "What's your name by the way?"

Danielle watched as heat flooded his face, eyes went to the blue carpet of the house, his messy brown locks shielding his face. He refused to meet anyone's gaze. "It's Mattaniah, Herington the third." The toe of his shoe started to dig an invisible hole into the floor.

A few dry chuckles left her boyfriend's lips. "Wow, did three generations hate their kids that much to name them Mattaniah?"

His head snapped up, but he still wouldn't set his eyes on them. "It has a very old meaning to it, but yes it's very ridiculous."

Danielle moved out from Tucker's protective shielding. "Anyway, we need his friend to think he really was overshadowed."

She watched as Lilith sighed, shaking her head in defeat. "Fine, we'll take him home first and I'll go do the rest myself. Don't think I'm coming back too often though. We like to help out when we can—we're family after all—but protecting the city is your job as of right now. I'm not even conceived yet."

He looked at Danielle and Lilith, finally meeting their eyes. Confusion overtook his whole expression. "Why are you two doing all this for me, for my family?"

Danielle smiled, clapping him roughly on the back. "Well Matthan, Matten-" Her mind became a jumbled mess as she tried to say his name correctly. She failed, miserably. "You know what, I'm just going to call you M. We're very big on second chances in this family." She pushed him towards her sister.

Lilith opened a portal to go back in time but before she does she looked back at M, a secret grin overtaking her lips. "Just don't blow up any fast food places and we'll be good."

"Fast food places?" he said in confusion, looking back to Danielle for an explanation, who didn't respond.

Lilith shrugged, looking between Danielle and Tucker, shooting them a wink in a play. "It's an inside joke. Now come on, let's get you back to your family."

Danielle walked into the man's home, to see the place he was living in was not exactly glamorous. The house was old and almost looked condemned, with wooden boards that hung from the ceilings; some had scratches woven into the aged planks. In one part of the apartment there a large wall decorated with exposed brick, and chipped pieces fell effortlessly to the floor. It was absolutely disgusting.

"Wow... this is...um... a nice home."

Danielle's hesitant smile held no genuine warmth, even though she pushed all her energy into it. It was half done, and it settled wrongly on her lips. In truth, even she knew it fit in an uneasy way, without the use of a mirror. _Oh well. Never have been the best liar._

A weak smile spread on his lips, guilt swelling his eyes. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better. It's falling apart from all fronts, but it's what we got. It didn't always use to be like this but..."

The edge of Danielle's mouth turned down in a small frown. "What happened?"

He sighed. "I used to be the head of a large computer company, then one day there was some weird computer malfunction. I thought it was nothing, but when my company investigated, it said that I had been embezzling money from the company since near the beginning, but I never did anything of the sort. They threw me in jail, and when I got out I found out my company was bought out by Vlad Masters of all people, at a dirt cheap price."

Anger constricted her eyes, making them narrow in tight slants as her mind began to race. Of course Vlad had ruined this man's life. Now the monster was up in space and this guy had to live with what he did every day. She wanted to help more than ever now. She knew what it felt like to be manipulated by Vlad.

His squeaky voice was hollow. "Now because of my criminal record, no well-paying job will hire me. It's hard to think how one little computer error could change my family's life so much. But if there is one thing that has been keeping me going, it's my girls at home. It just hit me that much harder when we got that diagnosis though. Please just promise me that if you tell her about helping us you won't give her any false hope."

 _They don't deserve this. No one does._

Danielle glanced around to see cobwebs and what she thought might have been specks of mold. This time her lips turned up into a loose warm, heartfelt smile. "Listen, I know a great charity that would help. Actually, I have their card, take a look." Handing him a card, he gave it a once over.

Reading it aloud, his eyebrows rose in confusion. "Sam Fenton Charities. Helping people in need of homes." His eyes went up to meet hers. "Your mom has a charity operation?"

"Hey, um, yeah. She's been doing for years now. She really loves to give back to people. I'm sure the staff would be willing to help repair and help get you on your feet."

His eyes shifted as pondered her offer. "I don't know…. What about paying them back? I don't know how we'd ever be able to do that."

Placing a gentle hand on his upper bicep, she offered again. "Please, it wouldn't be a problem. It's a non-profit, so it doesn't charge period. If you want to pay back, you can volunteer. My mom opened this charity to be able to help people."

He scanned the room, seeing the scattered remains of garbage littering the floor. "I don't know. It seems too good to be true." Out of nowhere, a piece of ceiling crashed down; Danielle let it phase through her to the floor while giving M a sly look. "I'll let the girls know.

* * *

After Danielle waved goodbye to her brother and sister after the portal closed, she transformed back to human, and started to shuffle her way to the stairs that led back up to the kitchen.

With each step, she didn't want to admit the worries that today held. It had been so easy for DJ to do what he did, and while she was proud of what he— what _they_ — had accomplished, it made her pause. Would she be able to do something like he did so easily?

Another thought struck her.

Did she even want that?

 _Oh well, another thought for another day._

* * *

 **Woot woot! First chapter completed. I hope you guys enjoy! And while Lilith and DJ won't really show up much in this story, they will only play one big part later on. Please leave a review if you could. Love you guys! Shout out to my beta reader, silente faery.**


	2. Chapter 2: Where They Are Now

**Chapter two! Oh my gosh, I am so excited to get this going. This chapter is more centered around catching up with what everyone has been up to for the past five years. It'll definitely get you up to speed. I hope you all enjoy, because next chapter is when things start to get going. IMPORTANT: I WILL BE STARTING MY USUAL SCHEDULE OF FRIDAY'S AND TUESDAY'S UPLOADS STARTING THIS FRIDAY. Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Nickelodeon does.**

* * *

Danielle stepped into her and her parent's apartment with a smile on her face. She was home. Ever since she had known her parents, she had felt at peace but there was something about their apartment that really drove the feeling home. She wasn't quite ready to live without them yet and she was incredibly happy to live with them. It felt natural.

While she did miss living in the same place with Aunt Jazz, Grandma, and Grandpa, there was something special about living with her Mom and Dad as this small nuclear family. It was one step closer to a simpler life. It was not average by any means and to be honest, she didn't want that anymore. At least, not in the exact sense that people knew of. She couldn't ever be exactly normal, and she accepted that.

Even the nightmares dealing with her past with Vlad dissipated as the years passed. She had people that loved her unconditionally.

Her mother walked in from their balcony—where she had her container garden—carrying a handful of vegetables.

She was sporting her usual DP crop top, ecto green leggings, and green striped plaid skirt. Her green goggles and violet trench coat, and Fenton phone-which she hardly ever took off-were missing, but upon further inspection, Danielle found the coat draped comfortably on a kitchen chair and the goggles laid neatly on the table. "So, I heard that your brother and sister came by today. "

Danielle smiled as she pulled an unused chair from the table and plopped down, resting her elbows on the table. "Yup, we ended up helping out this family that had been going through some really bad luck. At first, I thought it was Reversal at her old tricks again, but I don't think she has that much attention to give bad luck to a family for that long."

Her Mom went to the kitchen, placing the veggies in a bowl to do a quick rinse though to start cutting it up for dinner. Looking back to her daughter, she offered a small smile of her own. Danielle could see the hints of a smirk on her lips as well. "You do _know_ there's a much stranger alternative than a ghost."

Confused, Danielle tilted her head a bit, asking, "What would that be, aliens?" Her words were coated with sarcasm, but with their life, they were prepared for anything abnormal.

Sam shook her head, dumping the chopped onions into a cooking pot. "No, normal people, they're the scariest creatures of all. You'd be surprised at what the world can do to some very good people."

Danielle contemplated her mom's words. "I know, but something just feels off about this. I could feel it."

Over the years, her Mom had gained a lot of attention in the fashion industry. Along with ghost hunting, Sam was now a renowned designer; her specialty for her clothing line being the Danny Phantom logo. While they didn't need the money, it was awesome to see her Mom's work recognized like it was.

As the food simmered, the goth sidestepped around the table, coming up to plant a kiss on her daughter's head. "Well, I'm sure that you and your siblings made a difference for these people."

Danielle sighed at the kiss; she loved having a family. "Yeah, it's actually pretty sad. Their daughter is a couple years older than Jack-Jack and she was diagnosed with cancer. Their house is in ruins too. It's just awful, Mom."

Leaning against the table with her arms crossed, a solemn expression of concern splashed on Sam's face. "That's terrible, I hope they can get the treatment she needs."

"I set them up with your charity, they should give them the help that they need as far as repairs."

Giving her daughter a wink, she said, "That's my girl."

Scanning the room, Danielle realized one person that was missing. "Hey, have you seen Dad anywhere?"

"Oh, he was just getting the sauce for our dinner tonight, he should be back shortly."

Getting up from her seat, Danielle floated over to the stove. "What are we having tonight anyway?"

Sam soon followed, stirring the unknown delicacy. "Oh, it's this awesome Japanese dish I discovered while at last week's poetry slam. For people cursed with never ending sadness consumed by darkness, we can make a killer stir-fry."

She gave her mom a pointed look. "So you're making goth stir-fry for dinner?"

Sam stooped to a child-like behavior and stuck her tongue out briefly at her kid. "No, I'm making _vegan_ -goth-stir-fry tonight. I even brought special tofu so that you and your father will eat it."

Before Danielle could say a word, Sam continued. "But, yes, I also did have your father buy meat to go with yours, just in case."

"Sounds delicious, I wonder what Aunt Jazz and Uncle Roy are up to."

* * *

She had him pinned against the wall. Sweat ran down their brows. The breezy summertime air tickled the nape of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. "I told you, lover boy, I always get what I want. Now, are you going to submit or am I going to have to teach you another lesson?"

Roy smiled. "I've never been a good student. Now, where were we?"

The sun continued to beat down on them, but they ignored the harsh rays. This was too much fun. "Well, If you're done getting your butt whipped I think we can go again, that is if you have the energy."

"I will if you're up to it."

She pushed off the wall and lowered her protective visor so her face would be protected from the onslaught of paintballs her fiance would be shooting at her. Roy fled from her, as she raised her gun, ready to fire. He took cover behind trees, in bushes, whatever that would mask him the most.

This was the perfect date night for the two. It had been years since they started going out and even to this day they still had this sense of lightness to their love; they could still do these silly things others might have moved past by now, but for her, it was perfect. She had always been so serious, growing up with her kooky parents, but with Roy, she was able to relax and be herself.

It was something she wasn't used to and it made her feel happy that he brought that side of her out. Danny had tried so many times— and he had succeeded a couple times, but it never lasted— but with Roy, it was so effortless. Natural. It almost made her weep for all the days that she had missed out as a child and teen to be able to act her age. But she was learning and growing now and while she would always have her seriousness about her, she was happy with the change.

She loved both of her jobs. Being a part-time 'woman in the chair,' as Tucker put it, and a part-time counselor at the high school for the kids- And Dan- always filled her with a sense of completion. But sometimes just goofing off and not having a care in the world was freeing in a way.

Jazz eyed her surroundings. The game was held in a forest, an outdoor arena that had been set up by the council a few years back. It was a fun activity that people even came to just practice on their ghost fighting skills.

Thick pine needle trees flanked her on either side. Bushes created a natural path down a rather bumpy grassed path. Jazz called out to him, hoping to find his location. "Come on skinny, are you really gonna be beaten by a girl."

Luck was on her side as he called back, "It's 2014, Honey Bear, You're not exactly defenseless."

Jazz snuck up from behind him, shooting him directly in the back.

He jumped a few feet in the air as the paintballs made contact. Turning around, he sent her a harsh glare. "Ow! That's so not fair! I mean the back? Really?"

She shrugged, removing her visor with ease, smoothing out her hat hair with ease. "Hey, you got to take advantage of anything you can in combat."

Roy grabbed Jazz by the waist, pulling her close to him, while she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. "All's fair in love and war."

* * *

"Jack-Jack, can you please stop spoiling mommie's favorite shows?"

"Mommy, everybody knows that Jon comes back."

She sighed, grabbed the remote, and clicked the TV off. "Yeah well, a 5-year-old should _not_ know the plot for next season's HBO programs. Especially since I make sure you're in bed before I watch it. Now come on, your dad should be home soon."

Since moving back to Amity a few years ago—just on the outskirts of the town to be technical— Jack-Jack's visions had intensified. Izzy loved her son, and her two-year-old daughter, with all her heart; but the visions could get on her last nerves, especially in recent months where he gave false predictions on purpose to annoy people. He was the definition of genius, especially for his age.

Picking him up from the couch, she placed Jack-Jack in his toddler seat at the table, and once he was settled, Izzy prepared his meal for him. "How come I can't have what you and Daddy are having. And why can't I come with?"

Without turning back from the mac and cheese that she was stirring, she explained the best way that she could. "Well sweetie, it's a special day for Mommy and Daddy. Today is the day that three years ago I and Daddy got married, and he better show up soon, otherwise he loses the bet. And before you say anything, young man, I do not want to know whether he makes it here on time."

She lowered her voice as to not have her son hear her last remark. "I swear, I'm going to give Lilith such a piece of my mind the next time I see her."

* * *

"Come on man, it's just this once and we'll pay you double. Listen, if you do this, we'll even get you a storage unit full of boxes and a very nice couch for you and your... Girlfriend."

The buyer pondered the offer, his fingers running along the tiny scruff of his bearded chin. His eyes glistened with question. "Throw in a TV and Netflix and you got a deal."

"Thank you so much, now we have to hurry, otherwise my ass is grass."

* * *

A portal opened up in Izzy and Dan's living room and then Dan and the Box Ghost stepped out.

Looking up from the dinner she was making, she eyed the newcomers. Looking to her son, she pointed, "Look who's here, Jack-Jack!"

The five-year-old leaped from his chair, his chubby legs holding him well as he bounced over to the ghost. "Uncle Cubert!" Jack-Jack screamed in joy as he ran to the Box Ghost.

The Box Ghost— or Uncle Curbet, as the toddler called him— ruffled Jack-Jack hair and gave him a big hug. "Not too tight, or you'll get a paper cut."

Izzy walked over to Dan, swaying her hips in a manner that brought a smile to his face. Reaching him, she placed a hand on his chest and guided it down to his waist. She brought her lips up to his ear. "Hey there sexy, you know what's going to happen tonight?

Red heat filled his face. "What's that?"

Still, next to his ear, she raised her voice in triumph, _"You're wearing the outfit!"_

She punched the air around her in a celebratory dance as she swayed back to the kitchen to grab her bag and phone. Lighting up the screen, she proved her point by showing that the clock read 7:02.

"Two minutes late, asshole!"

She slapped his butt in what would be a demanding manner, but to them, was just plain fun. She made for a mad dash for the coat closet, throwing on a light wrap,seeing as the sun would set by the time dinner was over. "Now come on, doll, we're gonna hit the town and have some fun! Be good for the Box Ghost, buddy."

As they walked out the door the Box Ghost looked to Jack-Jack with a serious face. "Now Jack-Jack I need you to tell me one thing... Who is Missy in this season of Doctor Who?"

Jack-Jack motioned with his index finger to crouch down so he could whisper into his ear, mainly because he thought he has to always do so when telling secrets.

The box ghost jumped back in surprise. "Really!? I did _not_ see that character making that change. I wonder if they'll ever do that with The Doctor? Anyway, I should make sure your sister is comfy."

* * *

Maddie had been away in New York for the past week trying to convince the city to adopt their ecto trackers and to fund a Fenton-sponsored Ecto-police. The once full house was now empty with not a soul to be heard. Jack sat at the table listening to classic 80s pop from their vintage boombox while holding a picture of Maddie in his hand.

"I know you had to go off to the Big Apple, and I had to watch over the construction of the portal but I wish I could just see you."

Meanwhile, his cell phone lit up and began to vibrate on the couch, indicating that Maddie was trying to skype with Jack. A few jingles more, and he had yet to realize.

Air blew from his lips as he continued to tinker with his invention. "If only there were some way to see your beautiful face while we're half a country apart."

Static came over the intercom as he heard Maddie's voice. "Jack?"

Jack just sighed once more. "I can still hear her voice."

This time, he knew he heard her voice loud and clear. "Oh, you big goof, pick up the phone Danielle gave you so you can see me."

Jack ran to the sofa as he realized that Danielle had given him one of those smartphones for Christmas last year and picked up the phone, happily seeing his wife's face.

"Okay, Danny doesn't know yet, but I talked it over and the Mayor has agreed to our terms early. Turns out that the ghost hunters they have here can only do _so_ much and having to clean up the remains of a Giant Marshmallow man is very costly. Long story short, I'll be home early, so I can make it to Danny's ceremony next week."

He beamed at the news. "That's great, Maddie. He'll love to see you there."

* * *

A knock brought the woman out of their conversation, their heads turning to the door. Raising her voice, Sam called out, "Come on in, Tucker!"

Tucker stepped inside, clad with his signature blue hoodie and multiple colored beret, going over to Danielle to place a soft kiss on the crown of her head. "So, how are my favorite Fentons doing this evening?"

Before anyone could answer, however, Danny popped out of a ghost portal that opened up just outside of the dining room, a set of groceries on each arm. "Doing better now that we have the sauce for tonight's dinner."

Sam looked at Danny with a playfully sharp expression as she abandoned the spot in front of the stove. "And what took you so long, Daniel?"

A weak grin secured its place on his lips, his hand immediately going to the back of his neck as usual. "You know, I had the sauce but a little leaked out and suddenly I was surrounded by these hungry ghosts that wanted the sauce for themselves. They captured me and I had to fight them in order to get the sauce back. Then just when I thought I was home free this giant ghost dragon went and-"

"You forgot your wallet again, didn't you?"

He sighed, knowing he had been caught red-handed. "I remembered that it was back home on the nightstand when I went up to the store counter, yeah."

Sam smiled in triumph. "I'm just glad that the Infa-Map was successfully able to be downloaded onto all our tech. Traveling around the world is a cinch when you can just be zoomed to the right ghost portal."

He moved past Sam to set the groceries on the counter and began to pull out the purchases, grabbing a few bowls along the way as well. "How about we get started on dinner now that everyone is here?"

"Alright, let's get down to it. Tucker, you work the meat." He gave a nod in affirmation, grabbing a knife to slice open the packaged meat; all the while making sure to keep it separate from Sam.

Sam pointed to the pot. "You, young lady, have noodle duty."

Danielle did as asked, and grabbed the raw noodles from the bag, poured water into the pot, and turned the stove on to boil the water.

That was one of the many things she loved about these kinds of days. Normal. Just a family gathering around for a peaceful dinner. She remembered years ago that she had wondered if this would ever be a possibility.

From behind, she could hear her mom talking to her dad, a sweet melody hinting at the edge of her voice, a tone that she reserved for him in very precious moments. "And _we_ can work on the vegetables and tofu."

She caught her parents preparing their part of dinner out of the corner of her eye. "Careful now Mr. Fenton, otherwise we might end up with Lilith early."

Danielle and Tucker shuttered in time to each other after their gazes caught. She avoided her parents gaze at all costs after that. So, maybe she stood corrected. Maybe normal was just something she would never really achieve.

Oh well, she loved this more anyway.

"Mom, gross."

* * *

"So how was your day, bitch?"

"Honey, it's our anniversary."

"Fine, how was your day, _my_ bitch?"

Dan hummed in happiness at the slight change of words. "Much better. But my day was good. I had another session with Jazz today, first one this month. She's really helping me move on from my past."

The restaurant that they were currently seated in was definitely one of the more fancier ones in Amity, and while Izzy was never high maintenance, Dan wanted to splurge a little for their anniversary. The place itself was tidy. The ambiance was soothing, quiet, with low lighting, expensive tablecloth, gentle violin music playing in the background, polite waiters, and her personal favorite: amazing food.

Izzy stabbed at another piece of her lasagna she had ordered, smiling at the news of a good day for her husband. "I'm just glad it's helping. You've really come a long way; I'm so proud of you."

He grabbed at her free hand that was placed on the table—all the while being careful not to knock over the candle that sat between them—and began to rub small circles into the back of her hand. "I'm just trying to make sure I do right by you and the kids."

She easily accepted the soft touch. "So Mr. Fenton, what shall we do tonight? And before you say it, this dress is not on the menu, it already caused enough trouble as it is."

A small chuckle wisped past his lips at the reason behind Kathy's conception. "I just want to give you a normal dinner and an evening of love and fanciness."

She pulled back slightly, a knowing expression overtook her face. "So, you got us concert tickets, didn't you?"

"It starts in about two hours."

And this was of the many reasons that she loved him.

"And just like that, the dress is back on the menu."

"Really?!"

She laughed, dropping the act. "Heck no, We have two loving children at home. We're keeping it that number for at least the next five years."

* * *

Valarie, for her part, hadn't changed much over the past years. She herself was on a business trip in Paris, helping out Tucker's Tech Company. _Foley's Corporation._ She was seen as a valuable member of the company. Her job basically consisted of two things: inventing the equipment and planning out business with future prpritores— along with attending the actual meeting when Tucker cannot— It was nice, knowing she was such an asset to Team Phantom, and the future of the world as they grew.

She also took pride in two other things. One, that she could make technology, whether it was laptops, smartphones, TV's, anything normal of the sort for everyday people, and then there was the tech that ghost hunter's used. Ecto-weapons, clothing, whatever would help aid them, it also cut cost for Team Phantom; having any weapons that she created at their disposal was a nice bonus.

The last thing that truly helped her sleep at night was knowing that Tucker had more time for Danielle and the rest of them. She did too, that was never an issue, but Valarie knew to own an entire company— especially one as large as Tucker's— could weigh on someone's shoulders. Without her help, he'd be in the office almost every day. Instead, he had more time now to relax and actually have a life, the thought always brought a smile to her face.

Yeah, life was good.

* * *

Pamela Manson: redeemed mother, and wife. Loving grandmother to Danielle. Someone who had truly grown over the years and had seen the error of her ways. She loved each and every member of the Fenton family and considered them just as close. For her, the name Manson and Fenton weren't separate anymore; they bled together. You wanted one, you got the other.

She rarely was angered by much anymore. She was happy, content. That is, until one did something wrong that Pamela had told them to do a million times right.

Then that person got to meet Pamela Manson: Psychopath, and ecto-gun owner, who would do anything for her Fenton-Manson family. She would gladly lay down her life for any of them.

Some things just never changed.

And as she paced back and forth in the open field— construction buzzing in the background— Jeremy did his best to calm his erratic wife as she burned a hole with her feet into the grass with her phone pressed tightly to her ear. "Okay, will you listen to me, Tony! I do _not_ want my son-in-law's parade to be some cheap Super Bowl halftime knockoff. I want green carpet, green champaign glasses and I swear, if we do not have the ice sculptures of Danny and my daughter flying over the cityscape, I am going to..."

Jeremy halted his pacing wife, taking the phone from her and abruptly hung it up. He rubbed the stressed woman's shoulds to calm her nerves, alieving the knots that strained her. "Please, try to relax sweetie; you've made so much progress in the last eight years, let's not step back over the shade of carpet."

That did little to quell her anger. Stomping her foot into the loose soil, she screamed, "It's lime green, Jeremy. _Lime green!_ Do you know what they got us? _Seafoam!_ The got us seafoam green! It's practically blue! Tell me, have you ever seen Danny Phantom wear blue? No, because this is not some teenager's fever dream _FanFiction!"_

"Sweetie, I know they let you plan this event, but it's only one day."

Surprisingly, Pamela took a deep breath and started to slowly calm down."I know but for so long the world didn't know what to think of Danny, and I was the chief among them. I guess I'm just taking this personally but after all this time and all the things he's done for this world, I just feel that he deserves this. This _is_ his parade honoring him being Danny Phantom for the past ten years, after all."

She looked at the park as all the workers moved about to put everything in place.

Things were finally coming together.

* * *

 **And that's been their lives so far! Up next, you get to see the parade and how that pans out. I hope you all enjoy. Lots of love! Shoutout to my beta reader; silente faery**


	3. Chapter 3: Raining On The Parade

**Chapter 3! You guys ready for this? 'Cause I'm not sure if I am. It's gonna be a rollercoaster from here on out. I really wanna play this out right, and I hope that you guys see the character development at the end of this story and the story that they hold. This chapter really sets the pieces out to play, let's see who at the end gets to say, checkmate. ;) Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Nickelodeon does.**

* * *

The crowd grew louder and bigger in size as the crew set up the stage for one final sound check. Nothing but excitement laid over everyone as they all scrunched together to get a good view of where the parade would take place. Sweaty bodies stuck together uncomfortably, making it almost impossible to peel away from each other when everyone tried to get some space. The heat stayed as the sun started to set.

Sam looked to Danny, reflecting his obvious pleasant smile as they stood before their ride—a big blowup of a Danny Phantom balloon that was probably as big as his ego at the moment; not that she cared, she was happy for him—for them. With all that they had built over the years, it still didn't seem real yet.

She turned to him. "Are you ready for this, big shot?"

Danny, for considering it was his first public appearance in years, didn't seem nervous. He stood calmly beside his wife, happiness dancing beneath the radioactivity of his emerald eyes. "Yeah, I just don't know how you can contain your excitement sleeping next to someone with such a high social stature as me." His words were given in mock play, but if that was what he wanted, she was gamed.

It was always fun messing with him.

Sam let a look of annoyance settle over her face as she crossed her arms and shifted her hips just slightly in an unspoken challenge. "Maybe it's because if I say so, you'll be sleeping in Cujo's bed tonight instead of ours. Oh, and FYI, I mean the Corgi version, not the German shepherd."

Danny chuckled a bit, then looked around to see his entire family there. His daughter and parents were chattering quietly, while Tucker, Roy, and Jazz were going over a few technical things for the float to make sure everything was sound. Everyone he knew and loved was gathered for something he never dreamed possible.

It was finally hitting him. After so long, people were finally not just recognizing him but his entire family and the good that they did for the world. This was what he wanted: peace. Peace and a sense of equality between ghosts and humans, and while ghost would always terrorize humans, and humans would hunt ghost, the past years have slowed in that aspect. Sure, a few ghosts still popped up now and then, but it was nothing like it used to be.

With the float finished, the group started making their way backstage before making their appearance in front of everyone. The cheers grew louder as they hid behind the curtain. A few bodyguards were scattered about the area to ensure safety, although Danny didn't see the reason, they could easily take care of any problems that may arise.

Danny glanced around once more before the parade would begin to realize that someone was now missing from the group in a matter of seconds.

"Hey, where's Danielle?"

* * *

Danielle was busy getting a Frito pie from one of the vendors. She had promised her mom to eat only healthy meals at least two times a week and lucky for Danielle, this was not one of those days. Then, she tried to find her parents in the crowd but couldn't, due to the sheer size of the event. People began to bump into her left and right, knocking bits of her unhealthy delight out of its dish, a slight smack as her food made contact with the heated pavement. "Come on, this cost five bucks."

With quick thinking, she made herself intangible and flew high above the crowd. "Finally, I can just eat my junk food and relax." As she took in little spoonfuls of her food, she looked down to see the enormous size of the crowd. "Wow, all these people came here just for Dad. All this for one person."

 _He really has helped a lot of people. I just never realized that my Dad would be this well known. This is just so much._ Her head dropped in shame as the thoughts from earlier started crawling back into her mind.

She always wanted to fight ghosts; it had been embedded into her since she was young. But as the years passed, she saw the weight that it put on her dad. The glorification that came with it. While he had his cocky wits at times—which she did admit, he was becoming better with—it still fed his ego every now and then.

She wasn't entirely sure that glory and fame sounded pleasing to her. A part of her always wanted a normal life— especially the first two years after she was created— and now that she had that, she wasn't sure if she wanted to let that go for _this._

She looked around to see the reporters began to set up their cameras in front of news vans. And that was when everything, the whole realization started to sink in.

It was not just Amity, it was the entire world as well.

The crowd began to rise in volume as they grew impatient at not having seen their beloved hero yet. Her ears began to burn as her own breathing was drowned out by the chanting of dazed citizens.

 _How does Dad do this?_

She caught sight of her dad as he gave a strong wave to the sea of people that gathered for Team Phantom, for him, before he disappeared once more behind the curtain. Her mom stood proudly by his side—holding onto each other for strength as they always did—but from the way her amethyst eyes scanned the area, Danielle knew her mom was looking for her.

 _Could I do all that he does?_

The one question she had tried to push away still rung through.

Did she _want_ it?

 _The responsibility that he bears every day is more than he lets on. I see it in his eyes. Mom sees it, Grandma and Grandpa see it. Aunt Jazz, Tucker, everyone. We all see it, but at the end of the day, he's still him._

She wasn't paying attention to her food as over half of it spilled out of the paper tray, falling on the crowd below.

* * *

Dan was a little on edge around the large crowd. You wouldn't think the meanest person of his original timeline would have social anxiety but there he was. As he paced back and forth he felt something hot burst on his shoulder. "Son of a bi..." He swiped the mess and placed a finger in his mouth. "Was that chili?"

That was when Danny caught a glimpse of Dan fidgeting around in what he assumed was a nervous panic; his usual very careful and gauged steps were uneven and sluggish as he paced to and fro, running his hands through his pulled back raven hair. It was definitely unlike Dan to act like this.

"Is he okay?" Danny asked Jazz.

She smiled, waving off his concern for their brother. "Yeah, he's just not one for large crowds seeing as for most of his life he was being attacked by them. The man has a lot of scars on him; some of them you just can't see."

Absorbing his sister's words, he stared on into the crowd before he met her eyes again. "I bet that kind of thing would be difficult. It's been five years and he still remembers the people he hurt."

Her eyes looked away as she realized that she had voiced her thoughts. Her weight shifted, moving a few feet away from Danny as she cleared her throat a few times to allow air in. "From what he says, he remembers every one of them."

Jazz quickly switched the subject as her eyes found a new interest. "I think I even see the former president here; you must be so lucky. Now go on and give your wife a kiss for good luck. Also, Sam said she couldn't find Danielle. I'm gonna go see if I can track her."

He gave a quick nod as Jazz took the small staircase that led to the larger part of a backstage.

Danny was walking back to Sam when he saw the announcer—Lance Thunder—stepped on stage, a microphone in hand and a fake smile plastered on his face.

"We're here today celebrating ten years of everyone's favorite hero, Danny Phantom! That's right folks, today marks _ten_ years since the first sighting of Danny Phantom and in honor of his heroic actions, we name this, Phantom Day! Here to celebrate with us is former, President Hartman!"

The former president stepped out from behind the red drawn drapes.

Passing the mic to the president, Lance stepped back into the shadows. "Hello, to both everyone here today and watching all over the world. As you know, it's been a full decade since the world was introduced to our hero and my good friend, Danny Phantom! Since then, he has kept our world safe from every ecto menace imaginable, and has even convinced a few to help us advance in our everyday lives. Yes, thanks to Danny and Team Phantom, our world has become a much better and safer place. Now, without further ado the man himself: _Danny Phantom!"_

Grabbing both Tucker and Danny's wrist, Sam pushed all three of them past the curtain that barred them from everyone else, and then urged him further to stand next to Hartman.

Sam looked to Tucker as they joined in on clapping along with the audience. With a knowing smirk, she said, "You know, I'm very proud of him but I'm not looking forward to how big his head is going to be after this."

They looked on as their best friend stepped back momentarily behind the curtain, going to Dan and trying to coax him out from what they could see.

Tucker laughed at the two's interaction. "Hey, I'm just glad people just aren't trying to shoot at us anymore like before people knew what we do."

"Good point."

Danny pulled on the older halfa's arm—who he now thought of as a brother— trying his best to make Dan stand next to him at the podium. "Come on man, it'll boost your confidence."

He sent Danny a glare, Danny's tugging did nothing to make him budge. It was like a paper trying to move a rock. Unwavering, but funny to watch. He would always lose in physical strength when it came to something like this. He did try though, he would always try. "My confidence is fine thank you very much! I just don't want to be shown off like some prize dog."

"Eh, suit yourself."

Danny phased into Dan, forcing him to walk up on stage and take center attention as he stood at the podium. Flashes of light almost blinded him as everyone screamed in joy.

Ex President Hartman—who occupied his left-hand side—looked at him. His eyes widened as he took in the larger physique from what he knew of the twenty-four-year-old. "Well, Danny you certainly did um... grow since last I saw you."

A sly grin slowly bled onto Dan's lips as Danny continued his control over Dan. "Just give me a moment, Mr. Hartman, to get a little more comfortable."

The former president looked at Danny in confusion and concern. He eyed the people who filled the entire square block just before them, then back to Danny, signaling that there were thousands of people that stood before them. "Um, you do realize you are on live television, right?"

Danny stepped out of Dan's body and placed his hands in the air, asking for everyone's attention. He watched as Dan swayed as he regained control over his body and mind.

Danny then said, "People of Amity, you've seen him on the streets and in the air but none of you know the truth. Over the past ten years, our lives have gotten stranger each and every day, well then, it should come as no surprise that Dan here is not actually my brother, but instead he-"

"Is an abomination! One that I regret ever making!"

Danny looked up once hearing the familiar voice and before he could confirm it with his eyes as to who it was, Danny was knocked off stage, sending him flying through the air. The ground rippled into cracks as it caught him, festering large dents into the gravel where he laid unconscious.

The crowd began to scream in terror as Vlad Plasmius descended from the sky.

His tough, lifeless blue skin was aged beyond the ten years that had been away, with rivets of crinkled lines running through his skin. A large, taunting green colored scar ran down the length of his eyes, from the middle of his forehead to the middle of his cheek. His hair was now parted into an uneven messy style, with the black strands now faded to grey and a white streak running down the middle.

But his eyes were what struck fear into everyone. They used to have at least some life, some malicious happiness that he got whenever he would torture the group. Those crimson red eyes were something, at the very least.

But now.

Now they held _nothing._

"Hello, citizens of Amity and the world. I have returned!"

Danny, who still couldn't move from the blow, looked around for any signs of his daughter, and sighed in relief at the sight of her just landing on the ground near Sam, still in ghost form.

Dan rushed for Vlad, but as soon as he was within arms reach Vlad grabbed his wrist and threw him into the crowd. It was followed by a large burst of plasma, causing the masses to step back from where he had landed.

The widespread grin expanded at the sight of his work. "Now, I know that the last time I was on television I had given off the wrong impression to everyone, and I truly apologize for that, but let me make one thing clear to all those who are watching both live and at home today."

Vlad raised his hand, producing a plasma orb the size of a small house, and released it to the sky. Everyone in the crowd followed the orb as it expanded then vaporized the top half of every building within Amity's downtown area.

 _"_ I am no longer playing _games."_

The panic grew as everyone began to scatter, trying to find a place to hide, but everywhere they turned, they were afraid that he would find them. It became chaotic as everyone scrambled for safety.

Seeing her Dad unable to fight yet, Danielle yelled to her boyfriend, "Tucker, power suit, _now_!"

Tucker pressed the buckle of his belt as metal expanded from his belt, covering him in a blue sleek ecto proof armor.

She survey the damage that had befallen the area. Flames blazed against their skin— almost _burning_ — and stretched to the skies, mixing with warm orange and sparks of heated red within the crackling flames. Wooden support beams fed the fire, causing other chunks of wood to go flying everywhere. "Get Dad and everyone out of here now! Dan and I will handle this!"

"He just wiped the floor with Dan!"

"Tucker, _go now!"_

He did as he was told, giving her a short kiss before he collected as many people as he could and took them all to a secured location that had been set up years prior. To her left, she could see Dan doing his best to pull himself up. _How strong is Vlad that he can just down Dan so easily._

As the crowd began to disappear with Tucker, Vlad could see Danielle and Sam standing there. Sam had already activated her power suit. Her lavender suit hugged her figure protectively, while she held her ecto-gun securely in her hold.

It had been a long time since he had last seen Danielle. A look of wonder filled his face, like that of seeing a friend that one had lost for so long. It absolutely disgusted her. "My sweet child, how I have missed you. Please tell me you remember your father?"

Danielle said not a word as she looked into his red eyes. The scar that had formed on his face since the last time she had seen him was attention grabbing. She tried to speak, to deny his claim of being his daughter, but the words escaped her. Any air that she tried to get out with the words seemed to die in her throat before she could release them.

"Are you just surprised to see me? Did you think I could ever forget about my own flesh and blood?"

Danielle sighed, remembered the breathing technique that her Aunt taught her and found the will to speak. She could do this. She could. She gave a long roll of her baby blues. "Surprised? Nah, not really."

He scowled at her admission of nonchalant care that he was back.

"Annoyed? _Definitely."_

He growled at her words, his lips curled into his cricked yellowed teeth. He started to stalk towards her, his steps sure as they took long, taunting strides. " You never did appreciate what you had."

 _"Enough!"_

Vlad stopped in his tracks as he heard the voice yell out. Both he and Danielle looked to Dan as he stood back on his feet, his uniform mostly burned off from the plasma blast, leaving only part of his lower suit.

"You have hurt her enough! I speak for every Fenton when I say that she will never be your-"

He was cut short as a beam of plasma shot through his chest.

Danielle watched as Dan crumbled to the ground, landing on his knees before he completely laid on his side, his arms wrapped around his waist as he shuddered in severe pain.

Danielle could tell that Vlad, however, remained unfazed after that. The poker face that overtook him was one that had been obviously practiced and achieved over years of being alone and in space. "Children should be seen, not heard, and I don't care how buff or tall you get; you will always be a child compared to me. Count yourself lucky that I minored in the medical field, otherwise that shot would have hit something vital."

"Stop it, you bastard!" Danielle screamed at the top of her lungs.

A sour look developed on Vlad's face. Her harsh words distracted him from the fact that Danny had regained his strength; Danny phased through the ground and made his way over to Danielle and Sam. He now stood on one side of Danielle, while her mom stood exactly opposite.

Vlad looked at the three as a bitter taste invaded his mouth. "Now now, Danielle, a Masters is proper and a Masters will not lower themselves with such filthy language!"

Danielle looked to each side where her Mom and Dad were to get her parents' permission. Both Sam and Danny nodded in agreement at the silent question.

"Sorry to break it to you, fruit loop, but I'll never be a Masters; I'm a Fenton. Kinda have been for several years now."

She reached down deep within to access her ghostly wail, building the energy until it had no place to leave but out, sending waves of sound throughout the entire block.

 _"So fuck you, Vlad!"_

Vlad was knocked back a couple feet but did not hit the ground. He floated above the stage as fire and flames surrounded the park from his earlier blast.

The poker face stayed in place, but his voice hinted at a stronger emotion than he was letting on. "Ah, so you would rather have these weaklings than your true Father, so be it. But you will not have them for long."

Vlad raised his hand as Danny was lifted into the sky by some invisible force. He then threw his arm to the side, causing Danny to crash into a nearby building, and plummeted to the ground once more.

He then did the same with Sam, leaving her unconscious in a pile of burning rubble, her suit doing its best to keep her safe. Danielle could feel her body stiffen but not out of fear; this was something different, something not natural. She was lifted off the ground as Vlad pulled her to the remains of the stage.

"You have something I need. I was never truly honest as to why you lasted longer than the other clones, was I?"

While she floated, her body was completely restrained, but her mouth still moveable. "Nice setup Darth, but if you're going to tell me Sam is my Mom and Danny is my Dad, I had the plot twist spoiled for me long ago. So, if you're going to kill me, just get it over with."

He only grinned at her. "Kill you? Oh no, I need you, not for a demonstration but for something more. You may know that you were comprised of two sets of DNA but you have no idea the things I have in store for you. I would use your father but I need him alive and free, that is until the right time presents itself. But you, my child, will be the perfect test subject once again. After all, it _is_ what you were born for."

"No." Danielle faintly heard coming from the audience area.

Stumbling and in extreme pain, Dan stood in front of the stage looking up at the two halfas. Bruised, battered, and worse for wear, but still breathing. "You said you need Fenton DNA, right? Well, that brat there is only half halfa."

Moth's fluttered against the inside of Danielles stomach, threatening to make her vomit. "Dan, what're you doing!"

Vlad squeezed the veiled restraints around Danielle, causing her to lose her breath, in order to stop her from making any more unwanted interruptions. She choked for air, but nothing came of it.

Dan's brilliant azure eyes pleaded with Vlad. "I'm Danny's duplicate from another timeline. I have his exact DNA. He and I are the same. Full halfa DNA. Let her go and take me in her place."

Dread swarmed in Danielle's eyes as tears fell down her face, staining her cheeks. Swallowing in enough air to speak, she strangled the words out, "Dan, you can't do this! There... are people that... love you; think of Izzy, Jack-Jack, and... Kath."

Dan looked at Danielle with a broken smile. "I am. Your father hated me for so long and in the time I was in that Thermos, he tried to forget I ever existed. I was a monster, but now he and everyone we love, believe in me, that I can be the hero they all see in me. So that's what I'm doing. I'm being the hero. Tell them I love them, and not to be sad."

Danielle could tell that Vlad was getting bored of this. With his chin placed in his hand, he gave a long bored sigh. "Oh, this is _so_ touching but I still have not made up my mind on your oh so generous offer!"

As Vlad looked between herself and Dan her stomach churned in knots. Existence was all but gone. The space around them was nothing but the three of them. She couldn't see her parents, or anyone for that matter, even though she knew they were there. Everything was just gone.

He smiled.

 _"I accept."_

Throwing Danielle to the side, Vlad lifted Dan and ascended into the sky. As he gave one last glance back at Danielle, as she fired a plasma blast that hit him dead on, but not leaving a single scratch.

"You really were a failure after all."

* * *

 **He's backkkkkkkkk. Shoutout to my beta reader, silente faery**


	4. Chapter 4: A Woman Scorned

**Ch. 4! Hello, one and all! I can't wait for you guys to read this one! Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you guys for sticking with me through this.**

* * *

Dan opened his eyes to an all familiar scene.

Four walls black surrounded him on all side; it was suffocating with how enclosed the small area was. Green charged cords ran the length of the walls until the extra length dropped to the floor, and the rest connected to unexposed places on his body.

As he came to, Dan could feel his arms and legs being suspended, and looking to his left, right, and feet, it was confirmed that he was confined in shackles that kept him mid-air.

He cried out to Vlad, "Hey fruit loop, I thought your lab was destroyed in this timeline! Where are we?"

He got a better look at the room, but found nothing except the walls, green lighting shining hauntingly above, swallowing the entire room, and a video camera with a blinking red light mounted in the far-left corner from him.

The look on Vlad's face as he watched Dan on the monitor was that of disappointment. He shook his head, waiting for the opportune moment. Vlad to send volts of electricity all through Dan's body, a faint roar could be heard as the lights flickered.

Dan's body immediately started to convulse and coiled as he strained against the restraints, trying to get away from the pain that blazed through his body and stuck to each bone and vein inside. As the shocks slowly stopped, Dan coughed up a small amount of ectoplasm and blood, and felt it trickle down his chin. The silence was so still that he could hear when the blood made its descent to the ground: it was with a large _plop._

Vlad's face changed from disappointment to surprise. Pressing a button on his keyboard, he allowed the intercom to click over the speakers in Dan's room. "I knew you were strong, my boy, but I never dreamed that you would be _this_ useful."

Dan looked up to the camera in the corner of his small green tinted room, letting out a low snarl pass through his clenched teeth. "Let me out of here, fruitloop and I'll show you exactly how strong I can be!"

Vlad sighed. Dan knew his response was predictable, but he didn't care. Vlad must have pressing another button on his end, because soon enough one of the walls in Dan's chamber showed the current location of every one of his friends and family.

He moved his lips inches away from the mic, dropping his voice to a dangerously low level that only held wickedness. "I would be a little nicer if I were you. After all, you are my guest. It's impolite to be rude to your host."

The faint roar could be heard again above his head as once again, Dan was shocked with spikes of severe electricity while his screams were muffled by the sound above.

Vlad clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth, tilting his head to the side as he studied his captive on screen. "Then again, I'm not exactly sure your father would be the man to teach you manners."

Now physically shaking, Dan looked up once more towards the camera. The words scratched against his throat as they clawed their way out. "How are you doing all of this?"

Vlad breathed again, as if it was the stupidest question in the world to have been asked. "Child, I have been playing this game since before you were born. Now, I have stopped playing with you _children_ and have decided to win."

* * *

It had been a nice day so far as Izzy watched the live event getting ready to unfold. She had wished that she could have gone to the event. However, since Kathy had caught the flu, the three figured it was best to stay home and watch it on TV than risking other people getting sick.

The announcer was full of energy, even with nothing going on quite yet. The event started, and Dan took the stage. Instantly, Izzy knew this had to be a trick by Danielle or Danny and sure enough, Danny popped out of Dan like a slightly less buff nesting doll.

Izzy and the kids snuggled closer together as they sunk into the couch as their family appeared on screen. With a blanket draped across their laps, she planted a kiss on both Jack-Jack and Kathy's head as they occupied either side of her.

She laughed at the absurdness of what she just saw, but unfortunately, like everything in their lives, she wasn't laughing for long.

It was just a few moments in when Danny was going to finally show Dan to the world, then _he_ showed up, and whisked Dan away like it was nothing. Taking her husband and the father of their children like it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

Danielle burst into the house with tears in her eyes, and engulfed Izzy in a tight hug. She was followed by Pamela and Sam, who joined in on the hug. Izzy felt almost warm in both of their arms, but the numbness refused to leave.

The entire family sat in the living room, each one afraid to be the one to talk first. Even though their lives would never be called normal, having Vlad return with such an extreme display of his superiority over them shook everyone to their core.

Remaining silent, Izzy picked up an old rotary phone and spun the dial. She would not meet anyone's eyes, or the question that laid in them. "It's an emergency; three nights, and your second form only. No one gets in, do you understand? Good, thank you."

All eyes were on Izzy as she opened the basement door and walked down the steps as they groaned under her weight. Dust dirtied the air of the crawl space, with cobwebs hanging in the corners and mildew growing in various splotches. She fumbled around for the light switch—an old sort hanging from the ceiling with a pull cord. The moment her hand made contact with the string, she gave a swift tug and the room was broken from pitch darkness.

Danielle and Sam followed her down to see her placing a hand on one of the stones protruding out of the wall. After a quick beep, the wall opened to reveal a room filled with oddities. Izzy walked to the back wall and removed the mounted green gleaming sword from the wall.

Sam shared a brief questioning look with Danielle before she glanced back to the woman that she thought of as a sister. "Is that the Fright Knight's sword?"

Izzy tested the weight of the glowing sword in her hands as she shifted it around. "Yep."

Sam continued, all the while eyeing the sword wearily as she took a few unsteady steps back. "The one that has to be in a pumpkin, otherwise it unleashes the Fright Knight at his full power? That's really bad."

Izzy only smiled at the frightened goth. She may have been a reincarnation of an alternate timeline Sam, but there were definitely some personality differences. "Yep, Dan has a habit of collecting odd artifacts both here and in the Ghost Zone. Personally, it's not the worst hobby."

Danielle finished her mom's train of thought. "What the heck is stopping the Fright Knight from retrieving his sword and plunging the world into darkness?"

Izzy's smile sent a shiver down their spine. "Something Vlad is going to experience very soon: Fear."

* * *

With her protective suit on, Izzy grabbed the com piece from the counter and placed it in her ear. "Jazz, come in."

A moment passed before Jazz's voice came through. "Izzy, is that you?"

"Yeah. The code is coming up IF, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Izzy sighed in relief at the news. Packing away a few ecto-guns for safety, she continued talking with Jazz. "Good, I need any recent sightings of any gang members known as The Phantoms."

Handing a few weapons to the rest of the group, she adjusted the com in her ear so that she could whisper more quietly as to not have her children hear. Thankfully, her kids were being entertained by their cousin and aunt.

Jazz asked, "The Phantoms? Aren't those the guys you and Dan took down in Chicago?"

The waitress checked her belt, making sure everything was secured on the metal. "Yes, but when we captured the leader of that gang, I think she was working for someone; and with a name like _The Phantoms_ , I can guess who that person was."

Danielle crossed her arms over chest as she asked, "Wait...Dan fought those guys over three years ago. Vlad couldn't have been back that long without us knowing... Could he?"

"It's time to find out."

Izzy looked at Sam and Danny. "Listen, you two, I need you to stay here until the sitter arrives."

They nodded in agreement and grabbed the two and five-year-old and ushered them into their separate bedrooms.

Izzy continued. "Danielle, I need you to search for Vlad's new hideout. You're the one he's interested in the most; maybe he'll let something slip in order to trick you. Do _not_ fall for it! Get the info and get out."

Danielle rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid, Izz."

Ignoring the sarcastic twenty-two-year-old, she looked to Jack and Maddie, who were still planted on the couch. "Mom, Dad, you go back with Jazz and Roy and keep them secure." She pressed her finger to the com unit. "Jazz, what do you have?"

Izzy could faintly make out the sound of taping against the keyboard being in the background. "Well, I have a lot of gang-related activity located all around a really shady bar on the edge of town."

"Good, give me the name."

"Dracula's Den."

Izzy gave a long low sigh at the name. "Are you sure that's it?"

Jazz hummed as she looked at what Izzy assumed to be computer monitors. "Let's see. Their site says they serve all things cheese, deep-fried, and are showing the Green Bay Packers for every game they play."

"Yep, that's it alright."

Looking back, she saw her family in a confused state, never seeing the loving yet feisty mother in this state before. "I'm going to find out where my husband is and, in the process, I'm gonna teach those morons a lesson. Don't wait up."

* * *

The look in Izzy's eyes was not that of fear or worries, but that of determination.

The building before her was that of a cliché rundown bar. The wooden walls seemed warped in some areas, with its collapsing foundation and ceiling that looked as if it would give and cave at any moment. With the window's fogged over with dust, Izzy couldn't see inside, but she guessed that it wasn't much better.

Izzy pressed the intercom to connect to Jazz. "So, this is where his followers hang out?"

A bit of static overcame the earpiece before Jazz's voice came through clearly. "That's what we think but if it is, it'll be extremely dangerous. Vlad hasn't just returned, apparently he's been here for a long time amassing followers from all walks of life willing to do anything he says. From what research that I've done on The Phantoms, if my hunch is correct— and lets be honest, it usually is— he's probably been here for longer than we think."

"I'm gonna save my husband, no matter what it takes. If I have to break a few bones along the way, then that's their problem, not mine."

"You can't just go in there without help. I know you would do anything for Dan, we all would, but please, just wait 'till we get there."

Izzy removed the com piece and stepped on it, breaking it instantly. "We lost each other once." She took a deep breath. "Never again."

She kicked the door open to see a slew of men and women dressed in well-kept suits. She was right; the establishment was not much worse for wear as she saw the low lighting, unkempt dining area, and low-priced alcohol. It reeked of smoke and aged food. The only thing that was sort of up to date were the small flat screen TVs on the wall.

Holding the sword above her shoulder, Izzy smiled at the crowd as fear settled on them at the sight of her. No one moved an inch.

She smiled at the picture of panic before her. "So... Where did Count Drack take my man?"

* * *

Danny had finally made it to the hideout when he heard a loud feminine scream coming from inside the building.

He burst in, expecting to see Izzy fighting for her life but what he saw instead was somehow even more terrifying. Scattered around the room was what Danny could only assume was every one of these branches members, beaten to a pulp—still very much alive—and Izzy stabbing an extremely large man's knee with the Fright Knight's sword.

Izzy then twisted the sword, causing the man to cry in pain. "Woo! It ain't a pumpkin, but hey, if the sword fits!"

Danny watched on in awe as she towered over the man; her lips parted wide as she smiled intimately down at the man. "Now, where's my husband!?"

 _I should probably tell Dan never to forget an important day for them. And I thought Sam could get angry. Apparently dying and coming back can make someone a bit testy_.

"Please mama, I only joined the gang to get the delicious food here!"

"How can I know you're telling the truth?!"

The cook walked out from the back holding a plate with the largest burger Izzy has ever seen threatening to fall off of it. "Hey, Larry, I got your triple quarter pounder with pepper jack sriracha mayo, bacon, all on a gluten free bun, for your health buddy."

The man froze when he saw everyone aching on the floor. "I am _not_ cleaning this up." He calmly walked over to the large man, stepped over Izzy's sword and placed the plate on the table next to him. "Sorry for interrupting, Larry is our best customer and we ain't doing so well on Yelp." He again walked over the sword and headed back to the kitchen.

Izzy removed the sword from the man's knee, an admission of guilt on her face. "I'm so sorry about that, Larry."

The large man cupped his hands over his wounded knee to stop the bleeding. He looked up at Izzy. "To be honest, I understand where you got the assumption, so I don't hold it against you. I just wish I wasn't injured for Comic-Con next weekend."

Izzy looked at Danny. "Give him the speed shot, kid."

"What's a speed shot?" the burly man asked.

Danny took out a glowing green syringe from his belt, all the while letting the man know, "This is gonna hurt for a good minute."

Danny injected the man with the needle. Larry squirmed for a moment in pain, then looked down after a second and saw that his wound was now healed.

He clambered to his knees and used the leverage to get to his feet. Once settled rightfully on his feet, he stretched a few limbs, testing the feeling of his body. "Okay, that felt great. Hey, what was in that, I feel a little different?"

Danny shrugged as he looked at the gleaming liquid. "It's a combination of highly advanced medicine from another timeline, mixed with a mild version of healing properties of a halfa."

The guy started bouncing on his knees, as if he was looking for a flaw in his own body. "That's amazing. I feel like I'm somehow lighter."

The halfa gave a small pat on Larry's back. "Yeah, that would be your blood pressure returning to normal, along with any obstruction in your bloodstream deteriorating. It lasts for about two and a half weeks so use it well."

His eyebrows knitted together as he stared at the two in confusion. "Wait, what does that even mean?"

"It means that for the next half a month your body is going to be super healthy and anything you do to both keep and make it healthier will have double the effect."

His eyes grew in excitement, taking a lot of the space on his face. "That's awesome. Hey Ronny, take the burger and give it to someone who needs it! I'm having a salad tonight!"

Izzy glanced back to the man—who was doing a weird little dance in his place—to ask, "Hey, Larry. You wouldn't know who owns this place, do you?

He halted his impromptu dance immediately. "Oh yeah, it's the long-legged blond hair woman. She's always wearing a three-piece suit and has this weird clicking noise whenever she moves her right arm."

Izzy's expression immediately changed. Her lip began to tremble as her eyes went blank, her entire body went stiff with anxiety riding on her shoulders. Any color leaked away in a matter of seconds. "Are you sure that's what she looked like?!"

"Yeah," His voice, along with his face dropped as he saw her reaction. "Why, do you know her or something?"

Danny looks to Izzy with concern etched on his face. "Izzy, who is she?"

* * *

It was beautiful and stormy in her office high above Amity. The view was no Chicago, but it had a certain charm to it. The rain tapped powerfully against the window as lightning light up the outside world.

The office was dark— nearly pitch black with only one faint lamp on in the far corner near the entrance. She had worked her way to the top only once before, to have it ruined by that coward and his bitch. Being the only one-armed woman in prison was a living hell.

That was, until the boss had returned. Seeing his piercing red eyes and that glowing scar made her think that he had come to finish her for her failure. But instead, he was gentle and kind. He broke her free and gave her another chance, along with something a little extra.

She sat behind her desk and looked out to the street below, where she could faintly see three little dots scurrying toward her building like rats in the rain.

She pressed the talk button on her phone as it chimed on. "Maria, tell the boss the children are out after bedtime, oh and play my song list."

The phone chimed back in a soulless electronic voice affirming her message would be sent.

She turned her chair around to face the door, relaxed and ready, with her fingers interlocked and pressed against her lips.

The door burst opened as Izzy ran forward, holding the Fright Knight's sword and aiming true at the mob boss. The blond hair woman jumped right as the sword penetrated the leather office chair.

Danny fired a non-lethal plasma blast, missing her and shattering the large window exposing them all to the elements. Her speed was not that of Izzy's memory. The blond ran to the only source of light in the room and tipped the lamp to the ground, smashing it into a million tiny pieces, leaving them in pouring rain and total darkness.

They could hear her footsteps as she circled around them. No matter how hard they tried though— and with Danny's heightened hearing, he still couldn't pinpoint her location—It was almost as if her feet her barely touching the ground.

With his back pressed against Izzy's, circling the room as they tried to find any sign of the woman, Danny whispered, "What the heck is going on and how do you know her?"

"She might've been involved with the whole gang thing when we lived in Chicago."

The sarcasm that ran up his throat had a bit of a bite to the edge. "Oh, you mean the one where you and Dan took down an entire mob operation?"

"Yeah, that's the one!"

"So, who was she in that story?"

She paused for a moment before answering. "Oh, no one really, just the leader of the operation."

He turned his head slightly to get a better view of his sister in law. "Oh, _come on_ , can't you two just live a quiet life for, I don't know, a month— ow!"

Danny looked down and saw the usual mixture of blood and ectoplasm running down the length of his arm. Ripping the sleeve of his suit off, he quickly bandaged his arm, stopping the flow of blood from seeping through.

Keeping his back to Izzy to ensure both of their safety, he asked, "How do we fight her? I can't even _see_ her!"

"Hey, genius you can make plasma with your hands!"

His spine straightened as the realization struck. "Oh yeah! You know, when you have something for so long, you sometimes lose track of all its functions."

"I can't believe they gave you a parade."

Danny ignited his hands and to his surprise, he saw the room was empty but he could faintly hear the blond woman's footsteps in the rain-soaked carpet.

"There!" Izzy shouted, pointing to the ledge of where the wind was pouring in.

As Danny saw water droplets ascend from the carpet where she had stepped, Danny fired his plasma. It made contact, knocking her out the window as she caught herself on the window frim with her cybernetic arm.

Both Izzy and Danny rushed to the window in order to pull her back to safety as she dangled of the edge by just her hand. "Come on Cynthia, your arm was not designed for the weight of a grown woman!"

She looked up to the two with a smile on her face as the rain hit her. She didn't seem fazed as the water soaked her. "I don't need your help anymore, you puny ant. I'm one of them now and I'll be stronger than your coward husband has ever been! I'll serve under my boss and become his right hand! We'll have this world under our feet and there's nothing you or your little Goth Power Rangers can do to stop it!"

As she finished, her shoulder began to stretch from its cybernetic attachment.

Without warning, her skin started to burn away, leaving a small line lime green—resembling liquid ectoplasm—until inch by inches each flake of skin disappeared, plasm taking its place. It slowly trailed down her arm, with some of the droplets hitting her face. "What's happening to me?!"

Danny recognized it immediately. "You're becoming unstable! Your DNA isn't accepting its changes! You need to let us help you."

She looked to the ground below and then back to the two hunters. "You're all monsters! I was supposed to use these powers to better myself, but all I did was lower myself to your filth."

She slammed her fist on the robotic arm, releasing it, causing her to fall to the unforgiving ground below. Her last words echoed; the harsh rain did little to drown out her voice. "I'll see you on the other side, Vlad Plasmius!"

Before she could make impact, her form completely destabilized and a puddle of green ecto erupted on the sidewalk below, slowly being washed away by the rain above.

* * *

A smile formed on Vlad's face as he stepped away from one of his many monitors. "Trust me Cynthia, you will be waiting a very long time. But do give Hades my regards when you see him."

He walked to another monitor to see Dan bruised and battered in his windowless chamber. His head hung low in defeat and exhaustion.

Pressing a little red button Vlad spoke into the microphone. "So, Mr. Fenton, are you ready for another round?"

* * *

 **I shall see you guys next chapter on Friday! Love all of you! Shoutout to my beta reader, silente faery.**


	5. Chapter 5: Away From Home

**Ch. 5 You guys ready? Cause I'm ready. I'll shut up now. Love you guys!**

* * *

 _"Wow, all these people came here just for Dad. All this for one person."_

 _He really has helped a lot of people. I just never realized that my father would be this well known. This is just so much." Her head dropped in shame._

 _She always wanted to fight ghosts, it had been embedded into her since she was young. But as the years passed, she saw the weight that it took on her dad. The glorification that came with it. While he had his cocky ways at times— and that was becoming better she'd admit, it still fed his ego every now and then. She wasn't entirely something that sounded pleasing. The glory and fame._

 _She looked around to see the news vans begin to set up their cameras. And that's when everything, the whole realization started to sink in._

 _It's wasn't just Amity, it was the entire world as well._

 _The crowd began to rise in volume as they grew impatient at not having seen their beloved hero. Her ears began to burn as her own breathing was drowned out by the chanting of dazed citizens._

 _How does Dad do this?_

 _Rain poured from the ground below as the sky had developed a deep green swirl that overtook her vision._

 _She heard an unknown voice. "Lilith! Lilith please! Get Danielle! We need to stop him."_

 _The sky returned to normal as she caught sight of her dad as he gave a strong sure wave to the sea of people that gathered for Team Phantom: for him before he disappeared once more behind the curtain. Her mom had stood proudly by his side—holding onto each other for strength as they always did— but from the way her amethyst eyes scanned the area, Danielle knew her mom was looking for her._

 _Could I do all that he does?_

 _The one question she had tried to push away still rung through._

 _Did she want it?_

 _The responsibility that he bears every day is more than he lets on. I see it in his eyes. Mom sees it, Grandma and Grandpa see it. Aunt Jazz, Tucker, everyone. We all see it, but at the end of the day, he's still him._

 _She wasn't paying attention to her food as over half of it spilled out of the paper tray falling on the crowd below._

 _Being only twenty-two, it was a terrifying idea, with so many expectations on her—solely for who her dad was—it made her feel as if she was drowning in the open ocean with no help in sight; because, at the end of it all, she wasn't sure if she would still be her if she went down her Dad's path._

 _"Hello, citizens of Amity and the world. I have returned!"_

 _Her eyes snapped up to attention._

 _And there he stood._

 _"Hello, my child."_

 _Lips parted, his teeth were sharp and were a darkened shade of yellow._

 _"Did you miss your father?"_

* * *

Danielle awoke to being bathed in sweat. The bed sheets uncomfortably clung with ease to her skin. The darkness of the room only brought the fear from the nightmare even further as that scene played over and over again.

She hadn't even realized that she was screaming until Tucker wrapped her up in his arms, pressing feather light kisses to her hairline.

The warmth of his sleeveless T-shirt slowly brought her back to reality. His soothing honey voice broke through the crazy relay race running through her head. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Danielle did her best to catch her breath. The night was cool and crisp compared to the heat of the previous days. She watched as Tucker released her momentarily and stretched over and clicked the lamp on the nightstand table on, breaking the veil of night that had crept its way into Danielle's room.

She sighed as the air that she didn't know leave her, returned. "Yeah, I'm fine, I just had another dream about _him_."

Danielle crawled back into his warm embrace, the techno-geek trying his best to let her know she would be safe.

The words she whispered into the crock of his neck were short but powerful. "Why now?"

She felt his shoulders lift a little bit at her question. "He loves making a grand entrance. He always was sort of a drama que-"

Before he could finish his train of thought, Danielle interrupted him.

"No, not him returning. Why after all these years, learning who I am, finding ways to cope with my past and with him, do I still have these nightmares." She climbed out of bed, wrapping her arms protectively around her as her voice dropped, and putting some space between them. "I thought I was stronger than this."

The sudden light breath from her boyfriend ran down her neck, another calming effect as she realized he was behind her. She leaned into his chest as she took deep even breaths, a technique that aunt Jazz taught her.

In, out.

In, out.

The night usually soothed people, it was a place where the reality of the day could fade away to nothing as dreams of what could be—of what people wanted—come out in their head. Thoughts could be clearly written out in their minds.

It was a time for midnight snacks and 3 AM chats with close friends until the sun rose and things would go back to normal, but what was said would always be tucked away for the next night. It was an adventurous escape. The night was for the broken-hearted to find peace for a few hours.

But for Danielle, the night held nothing but dread and nightmares. Her racing thoughts wouldn't leave when the sun did. They followed her into the deep, troubles of the night. They never truly left.

Tucker gave a slight tug, breaking her from her thoughts and beckoning her back to the bed. Crawling back into the queen mattress, she let the calming moment wash away the terrifying nightmare— no, _memory_ — for now, she was safe, everything was okay.

Tucker cradled her face as he looked seriously into her eyes. "It's not about strength. You're strong, stronger than he'll ever be. But when it comes to what he did to you, you're not weak for remembering how that made you feel back then. When he stood on that stage, you didn't back down; you held your ground and you fought as hard as you could."

Tears pricked at the edge of her eyes. "I wasn't strong enough and now Izzy and Dad are out all night, every night for the past week, searching for any clue of where that madman took Dan! He's gone because of me, and Vlad is probably torturing him every moment of the day trying to unlock some weapon he can use against us and the world."

Tears spilled over, flowing freely down her cheeks. "His wife and two children are missing their Dad because I wasn't strong enough."

"Danielle!"

The tone in Tucker's voice snapped her out of her grief as she looked into his sapphire eyes.

"Listen, Dan knew what he was doing and it was his choice to make. He knows you just as well as any of us. He knows you can stand up to him and he also knows that you have spent enough time being Vlad's experiment."

She wanted to move her eyes from his, but they refused to move. His gaze too firm and demanding.

He continued as if he didn't know she had so many things running through her head. She knew that he saw he thoughts in her eyes. "You're so much more than whatever that fruitloop wanted you to be. Dan knows that and so do I. We gotta keep moving forward and not look back. That's how we can beat him before he can start whatever blue sky beam bull crap he has up his sleeve."

She looked at him with sarcasm in her eyes. "Sky beam, really? Okay, we're taking a break from the sci-fi for a little while."

She placed the covers back over her body and turned off her nightside lamp, cuddling closer to Tucker. "I just hope he can handle whatever Vlad's doing to him."

* * *

Electricity sourced through Dan's system once more as he heard the roaring fade for what had to be the millionth time that day. He sighed for the moment of relief. He had lost feeling in his arms and legs hours ago. He wasn't sure how long he had been locked up. Days? Maybe a week; two if he really thought on it, but he doubted it was that long. It felt like an eternity in his mind though.

His words slurred together as he tried to taunt the elder halfa. "Is't all you got, you novice. I was 'ce captured in a Japanese prison where I had... sushi worse than this."

Vlad growled. "Laugh while you can Daniel, this has only been the tests to see if you can handle the real work I have in store for you. Now sit back, relax, enjoy your room. You will never be leaving it."

Vlad stepped away from the monitor and listened as he hears the sound of anger above."Oh, what is it this time!" He then phased through the ceiling.

Dan had noticed that the faint steps he could hear whenever Vlad was in his little control room were gone. He slowed his breathing, doing his best to relax. As he closed his eyes, he let his mind drift, letting his mind's eye stretched further beyond the reality of the room, and eventually, through time itself.

The perks of having a time medallion were very useful.

As timelines came and went, he called out to the one person that could help. "Lilith, please hear me. I need you to tell them where I am. Please, I need you to do this, we're all in danger. Please, just hear me."

* * *

Danielle looked at Jack-Jack as he played with one of his toys, as Freddie Mercury's _Somebody to Love_ played on the radio. The little tot sat happily on the carpet with one of his favorite cartoons playing mindlessly in the background. He was obvious to the world as he pretended that the toy was a superhero, intending to save the world. It brought a smile to Danielle's lips.

A part of her wondered what it was like to be a child. Was it exciting and carefree? What was it like to take the world at face value and to not overthink things? Danielle could admit that she could be immature at times, but she did the best that she could with what she knew. When she babysat her cousins, she longed for the childhood that she was robbed of; the normalcy of life.

She sighed as she returned her attention back to reality.

Turning to the Box Ghost, who was relaxed next to her on the chair at the kitchen table in Izzy's and Dan's house, she said, "He really doesn't seem too concerned with his Dad; I know the two are crazy about each other. Maybe he just doesn't understand because of his age."

The Box Ghost watched as Jack-Jack and his sister skidded around the house, trying to chase each other; all the while Kathy had the upper hand at times and tried to wrestled her brother to the ground. "Hey, slow down Kath, otherwise I'm gonna have to ship your lil' butt to an early nap time."

Kath slowed down just enough so her Uncle wouldn't deliver on his sleepy time threat.

The Box Ghost looked back to Danielle. "I'm not sure, with his powers, he's really advanced for his age. Maybe he just knows something we don't."

"Or maybe he just really likes that toy."

The two adults turned around to see Izzy step through the door with bags of fast food held in her hands, followed by Danny, Sam, and Cujo—taking the form of a Caucasian Shepherd.

Danielle held back her laughter as Kath screamed with joy upon seeing the behemoth mutt walk in, her baby blue eyes widen in excitement as she bounced with joy. " _Big Cujy!_ "

The halfa took note of Izzy's frazzled hair, wrinkled clothing, and glazed over golden eyes that usually had life in them; as of now, they were just empty. She looked absolutely done with everything. The bags underneath her eyes added about ten years to her. She needed a nap.

Izzy shrugged her shoulders. "Been gone all day and brought you guys back Nasty Burger, but sure, run to the big dog, why don't ya?"

Danielle's laughter couldn't be held back as the kids ran past their mother and tried their best to jump on Cujo's back. "Come on, aunt Izzy. Let's get the table set up so when Cujo has worn those two out, we're ready to refuel their adventures."

As they all begin to set the table, Cujo came running in with a saddle strapped to him as the two children phased Cujo—who was more than okay with it—through all the rooms of the house. Their screams of joy filled the entire place as they paraded around like a bull rider on a bull.

"What did I tell you two about riding Cujo in the house!"

She placed her face in her palm as the continued on their rampage, deaf to their Mom's lecture as always. "Ugh they see their Dad do it one time for his birthday and now it's all they want to do."

A text dinged on Izzy's phone. Grabbing the device, she simply told Danielle, "it's a text from my parents, wondering how I'm doing after they saw the whole thing with Dan on TV. They're worried about me, of course."

With a huff, Izzy pocketed the phone, and turned her attention back to Danielle.

Danielle put a hand on Izzy's shoulder. "Now that those two are out of ear range, how are you holding up? I'm sorry that Jazz, Roy and I couldn't find a location for Vlad and Dan. We tried, but nothing showed up on the scanners."

Izzy's hand slid down to her jawline, giving a slight rub to relieve the tension that had built up there. "I'm doing my best. Those two are used to their Dad popping in and out due to his ghost hunting, so they don't know anything is up yet. It's okay, I know you and Jazz tried. Your Dad and I have been out every night since that prick took Dan. I honestly could just use a nap, that and a shot or three."

Danielle tried her best to lighten the mood. "Good thing Dan isn't here to hear you say that, otherwise I might end up with another cousin."

Izzy laughed, just a little. "Don't you put that evil on me. I love the little monsters but two is more than enough for the time being. But I won't deny that I'd do anything for them. Dan would too. I know he did what he did for us but I still wish I would have been there. It doesn't matter though. I'm getting him back and giving Vlad a good kick in the ecto orbs in the process. We didn't cross the universe and be reincarnated just to have some crazy bastards separate us."

* * *

While he blazed through the timelines, he began losing hope for finding his niece. He wasn't one for time traveling after everything, and without practice, he didn't know how to use it exactly. And it was especially hard without using his physical body, but he had to find her. "Come on, you have to hear me. I don't know where I am. Please, Lily-pad. We need you."

Overwhelmed with frustration Dan moved on to the next timeline. Opening his eyes he was sitting somewhere he had seen once before as a feeling of uneasiness fills his stomach.

"Oh hey! You're back!"

He heard what he thought was his sister's voice coming from another room of the small, familiar, apartment he was sitting in.

She came running into the room with an excited bounce in her step. "I was a little surprised to see you just vanish like that a minute ago. I figured that you must be one of those Spectators."

Dan looked at the table in front of him to see a tall empty glass of where lemonade had once been. It then hit him.

 _Oh no, it's this timeline! Lilith, can you hear me in this one?_

Jazz sat next to him once more. What had been years and countless nightmares for him, was mere moments for her. "So, Mr. Spector, I do tend to keep an open mind."

"I'm married, have two kids, and drive a minivan! Goodbye!"

He concentrated as hard as he could and moved on to the next timeline without another word.

* * *

"Ugh, I'm going to need some serious counseling after that encounter, I only hope Jazz has a spot open…" He trailed off as he realized just who his counselor was. "Of course!"

After a couple minutes of nonstop screaming, Dan came to. He didn't dare to open his eyes at the moment as he already felt the tantalizing rays of the sun already beating down on him.

"Hey, dumb dumb, you're going to annoy the neighbors!"

"Doubt it, been to this Earth. It's been dead for decades." His head perched up when he realized who was talking. "Lily!"

There she stood, peering down at him with her arms crossed. She looked to be in her early to mid-twenties. She rolled her eyes in her usual greeting of annoyance. "Hey there, Uncle Jackass!"

He lifted his neck to examine her with a harsh scowl. "That's Dan-Dan to you, young lady."

She gave him a pointed look. "Yeah yeah, I take it you have a reason for trying to get ahold of me? Clockwork was getting annoyed with you wandering the timelines, said that you were just calling out. His exact words were 'I don't know why I kept him.' Now he's grumpy, which is making _me_ grumpy because I work alongside him. "

Dan groaned as he pushed himself to his feet. "Yeah, Vlad is back and I'm currently his guinea pig. I need you to time-text your sister—or however you get ahold of her—and let her know where I am. Izzy planted a GPS chip somewhere on me. Vlad must have shorted it out in one of those electric shocks."

She held up a hand to stop him from blabbering on. "Yeah, I get the picture. Hold still, it'll be easier to find." Lilith began to laugh as her hand glowed bright gold for only a moment before it dissipated within moments. "There you go."

His eyebrow rose as he watched her body tremble with laughter. "What's so funny and why does my left butt cheek itch."

Her hand immediately went to her mouth to stop the onslaught of laughter. "No reason, now go before Vlad figures out what's going on."

He was about to take his leave when she called out to him once more. "Oh, and you know that half a halfa thing is total bull, right? Because If I was a gift from the universe, you can bet I'm stronger than your buff butt."

"I know you and your sister aren't half a halfa. I was just saying that so Vlad would go for me and not Danielle."

She gave a boneless shrug. "Either way, no such thing as 'half a halfa', and really? Couldn't you have used a better name? Like a quartera? At least that makes more sense and it's less work on the tongue to say."

Without being able to say anything, Lilith rose her hand and sent him back to his personal hell.

* * *

Dan opened his eyes once more to see Vlad's ugly face staring back at him through a projection that Dan had not realized was there prior.

The projection fazed in and out, but still held the majority of Vlad's figure. "Welcome back, Dan. You didn't honestly think that I wouldn't take into an account of you having a time medallion in you, did you? No matter, I have some good news for you."

A spine-chilling smile seeped onto his lips, baring his teeth.

"You will no longer have electrical currents pass through you. You have graduated for the first phase. Do enjoy the ride."

* * *

Danielle sat at the table with her two little cousins and her aunt. They had just finished saying their daily blessings and were chowing down on the delicious fast food.

Her parents were out, scouring for any hints or leads that might bring them closer to Dan. From what Danielle know, Valerie would be flying back into town, cutting the meeting short, to help with the search for Dan. Her plane would hopefully be landing in two days' time.

Izzy and Danielle had ordered the same thing, a twenty piece chicken nugget meal with extra sauce, and while it was good, neither were really enjoying it. But Danielle knew they had to hide the guilt, worry, and fear in front of the children. They couldn't know what was happening.

All was quiet until out of nowhere, Jack-Jack looked at the two adults with a slight smile on his face, his food just inches away from his mouth. "Don't worry, Daddy won't be with Vlab for too long. You make sure of that, mommy," and went on, shoving a handful of food into his mouth.

The two adults look at each other in disbelief—Food hung from Danielle's mouth, not being able to find the ability to chew—as they knew Jack-Jack had not been told about his father's whereabouts. They kept glancing between each other and back to the five-year-old, making sure that what they thought they heard was true.

Just then, Danielle's phone came to life, quickly grabbing the device, she ran her finger along the slidebar, unlocking it—the light reflecting off her face as her blue eyes gazed at her screen— with a text revealing the locations of Dan's GPS tracker. "Well, I'll be damned!"

Both children looked at her, shouting "Lawguages!"

Her attention snapped up to her two cousins, sticking her tongue out childishly at them. "Yeah, I know!" Tugging at her aunt's tank top, Danielle began to drag the woman away from the table, out of range of little children. "Izzy, come to the other room with me for a moment."

Once they make it to the living room, Danielle lifted the screen for Izzy to see. "That's great, where does it say that he is?"

They heard a little ding come from the phone once more as they looked down to see the location.

Danielle's face scrunched in disgust as she read the screen of her phone. "Of course. He's a drama queen. Why should we expect anything less?"

On the screen in bold letters was the city of _Green Bay, Wisconsin._

* * *

 **We're taking a trip to Wisconsin… We'll, I'm not because its my state, but ya know. I love green bay, but its been awhile since I've visited. Hmmm. Maybe I** ** _will_** **need to make a trip. Anyway. Let's see how their rescue mission goes. Poor Dan. He's in so much pain right now :(**

 **Shoutout to my beta reader, silente64**


	6. Chapter 6: Fun Times At Lambeau Field

**Ch. 6! I want to start off by saying, I'm pretty sure I don't talk like how I've portrayed Wisconsinites in this… Maybe some do? I've heard that our 'o's' sound different and we use 'yet' differently. Eh, I'm oblivious to things I guess. I should pay more attention to how my friends talk. Hmmm. Its true when they say that if you've grown up around certain things, you grow accustomed to it.**

* * *

"Well... Where do we start?"

A crowd had gathered around the group, taking advantage of seeing their heroes in full costume. With eyes in awe that were trained on them, Danielle considered just turning everyone invisible and getting the heck out of Dodge.

She skirted over to her dad, sinking behind his back just a bit. "Anywhere but here."

 _Yep, it's official: Wisconsin's creepy. I'll never like this place._

Danielle looked over at Izzy to see her sporting the Fenton Knocker. After Grandpa saw Tucker and herself play some video games—Fall Out 4, to be exact—he produced the beautiful monstrosity that was the Hydraulic Fenton Fist: a much sleeker, powerful, and easy to hand version of the Fenton gloves. They easily had ten times the power of the old gloves, but that did little to reassure her.

 _Can I go home yet?_

Danielle glanced at the new device. As her eyes ran across the device, her stomach dropped to the floor. She wanted to get as far away from Wisconsin as fast as she could. "Do you think we're really gonna need that?"

Izzy wouldn't stop fidgeting with the invention, making sure it fitted securely around her hands. "I told you, kid: I'm not leaving this cheese-smelling town until Vlad's been reduced to half a man."

Tucker eyed Izzy wearily as he pointed out the obvious. "He _is_ half a man. So..."

Rolling her eyes, a low sigh passed Izzy's mouth as she directed her attention away from the gloves. "I'm gonna hit him in the balls, are you happy now?"

Danielle's frown that had taken residents on her mouth, instantly turned into a smile. "Oh, I could hear that sentence all day. Now, where should we start?"

Okay, maybe she could enjoy this state for a little bit; but it would always be the one place she dreaded hearing about. It was a part that filled her nightmares, along with Vlad. His face had been in her dreams for over a week now, but being here, being back where it all began—at least in the state. And while the nightmares were horrible, this was worse because she was physically here—only a few miles from Vlad, and this was something she would not wake up from if something went south.

She knew from the fact that he had burned the tops of buildings from the parade, that he was willing to do anything to get what he wanted, including _killing_ people.

He had killed people that night.

It only added to her nightmares.

All those people in the buildings were just gone. Reduce to nothing more than ash and dust. If he had no remorse with taking the innocent, average day people, who was to say he wouldn't start killing her family and herself? The thought only put her more on edge.

Izzy quickly pulled up the map that Jazz had sent her via text. "We have the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, The Packer's Heritage Trail, Title Town, and Lambeau Field."

Danny scanned the block that they were currently standing in, eyeing the mass of people around him and his family. Street signs littered every block, and stores were stacked closely together on every corner. Cars raced past, only stopping for the stop and go lights planted at every intersection. If there was one word to describe this place, it would be _busy_.

However, no matter how busy the street was, the sidewalks were not filled like he thought they would be. The only people out was the small audience that had accumulated.

Keeping his gaze locked on the people around him, Danny asked no one in particular, "Has anyone noticed how there's not really too many people around? I mean, I know this is a big crowd for what we have here, but this is usually the amount of people back in Amity watching us. I figured in a bigger city, we'd have hundreds looking at us."

Suddenly, one of the onlookers walked up to them, donned in all packer's attire. He looked to be in his mid forties and an average size person. "It's probably because the Bears facing off against the Packers today. They're our most bitter rivals, and not a true Packer fan in town is missing this game. If you're looken' for someone, they're either at the bar or at Lambeau itself watchen' Rodgers give dem what for."

Putting her phone away, Izzy looked back to her group. "So, we know where he is."

Sliding away from her Dad, Danielle quietly scootched over to Izzy. "Yeah, but he can't just go in there and sit in the stadium. He's the most wanted man and ghost in the world right now. He'd have to be spectating from somewhere nearby, but he can't just go to a bar either."

Sam kicked a bit of loose rubble around her foot; they all were stumped as to where to go from here. "Okay, so he loves the Packers and he can't be seen in public."

Raising his finger, Tucker added, "He's also a drama queen megalomaniac."

They hadn't even taken notice to the fact the bystanders around them had yet to leave until one of them called out, "Hey, have you heard about those weird shakes that have been happening around the field."

The crowd mumbled in agreement. "Yeah, almost canceled the game but word is they stopped just in time."

The one that had spoken out first, added, "Sounds like Mother Nature wants to see us kick dem bears butts today, eh?"

Danielle groaned at the man's word, looking to her family, she saw the same understanding glittering in their eyes. "You can _not_ be serious."

* * *

 _"You cannot be serious!"_

Vlad slammed his fist onto the metal control panel, making sure not to hit it too hard. A few beeps echoed back from the keypads that his fingers hadn't missed. "Are the refs' blind!? That was clearly a false start! The touchdown should be revoked, you, morons!"

 _"Go bears!"_

Vlad spun around in his control room and pressed the button, accessing Dan's chamber. The weakened halfa wasn't even trying to shimmy out of his chains anymore. His head was slumped low, his greasy raven hair creating a veil in front of his face; the tip of his chim that Vlad _could_ see was crusted over with blood and ectoplasm.

Veins popped out along the length of Dan's arm. Any and all color on Dan's complexion was gone; taken by the food and water that Vlad provided; or lack thereof. He looked absolutely horrible.

It was a wonderful sight to Vlad's eyes.

Dan looked up to see Vlad's face scowling at him, his scar almost bulging out from his face as his eyes and nose contorted into anger.

In a low growl rumbling from his chest, Vlad said, "You are lucky that I had to stop my research because of the game today! Once this game is done and the Packers have demolished, those dimwitted Bears we will continue with our previous fun. _Now, shut it!"_

The image of Vlad blinked out of existence and with all his strength, Dan yelled, _"Da bears!"_

* * *

Danielle glanced at the stadium that stood before them, alarm riddling her body with a vice tight grip, the domeless behemoth of a building loomed over them in an intimidating manner. Her eyes skipped between the glass doors of the entryway and her family. "If Vlad really did create an underground lair under Lambeau Field, then how are we gonna get down there?"

She could see the gears in her Dad's mind start to turn as he pondered their next move. Within minutes, he suggested, "We could always just go to the field and phase down."

Tucker shook his head. "No, it won't work. Vlad's smart and a technological genius—second only to myself, if I do say so. But if he could invent something to detect the presence of ghosts 10 years ago, I have no doubt he's perfected it by now."

Clicking on her earpiece, Izzy called out to her sister in law. "Jazz, Roy, do you have any readings from the Fentalite?"

The satellite that Jazz and Roy had set up years ago came in handy to keeping tabs on several things all over the globe: Locations, hacking into computer databases that could easily shut down a city space within seconds... Anything with a web address was child's play. Everything, no matter how little of a technical singal it sent out, was at their fingertips. Both Jazz and Roy took pride in their work.

So Izzy could tell the moment Jazz was taken aback with whatever her computer was showing her. "No…. for some reason the satellite isn't picking anything up underground. It just seems like normal piping and sewer systems."

Izzy sighed, looking back to her group as she tried to keep the fear that wanted to consume her at bay. But it was hard knowing her husband was with that demented man. "I know he's here. He has to be."

Tucker spoke up. "Couldn't your tracker have fallen out somewhere?"

Danielle watched as Izzy quickly thought it over. "No, I had Skull-tech make it special so that it'll only be active in the presence of ecto DNA. He's here."

Danielle planted herself on the curb of the sidewalk; pebbles dug into the thin layer of her suit, biting a bit of her skin—along with the heated pavement that threatened to burn through her outfit. And with her chin in her palm, she huffed in frustration at their lack of clarity.

* * *

Even with shock after painful shock, Dan still had his mouth on him. How he managed to backsass him, Vlad would never know. "Woah! I heard the crowd go silent up there. Did someone get injured? Oh. man, I hope they're not out for the season, that would _suck!"_

The vein on Vlad's forehead was throbbing."You know what, you little pest! I think the spectators could manage one little quake if it will shut you up!"

Vlad pressed a button on the control panel as electricity ran through Dan, making him scream in pain.

He looked up to the image of Vlad as he coughed up a little blood, mixing in with dried up crust from earlier. Dan gave him a devious smile as he gritted through his teeth, "I hope it was Rodgers."

 _"Enough!"_

Vlad phased through the walls to Dan's chamber. "You will be silent! Or I will make you regret ever stepping into this reality!"

Vlad phased his hand into Dan's arm, cracking each and individual bone in his arm until it reformed and protruded in an unnatural position under the skin. The sound as every fiber snapped and popped out of place would have echoed in the room, had it not been for Dan's screaming that overshadowed it.

As Vlad released his grip and he slowly came down from the pain, Dan squirmed for a moment and mumbled something under his breath.

A triumphant smile graced Vlad's face. "What was that Daniel, I couldn't hear you?"

Dan lifted his head and spat blood in Vlad's face. "You and what toaster?"

That set him off. Vlad's lips parted in a low snarl as he moved his face inches away from Dan, his cold breath was suffocating enough alone without the torture of the shocks. "You know what?! I think I have extracted enough of what I need from you. You have become more trouble than what you are worth. So, if you're going to be screaming at the top of your lungs, It might as well be a sound I can _tolerate!"_

Vlad phased his hand into Dan's chest and pulled out the time medallion, throwing it out of the reach of Dan's chains. Dan screamed as parts of him began to fade in and out of existence.

Vlad phased back into his control room, leaving Dan with the words he had feared for so long.

"There is no place for you in this reality anymore!"

* * *

"Come on, there has to be something we can do."

They were still stalled out in front of the glass doors, not one of them daring to go in. They knew one step into the stadium could mean certain death for all of them. If Vlad really was as strong as he seemed, and had the equipment to back it up, they weren't sure what he was capable of.

They could hear the faint screams of the fans as everyone cheered on their favorite team. And even as the group stood on the outside of the stadium, the volume of cheers grew loud enough to the point almost as if they were in in the seats themselves. From the sound, everyone figured that a touchdown was made.

The roar of the crowd consumed everyone's mind, making almost too hard to concentrate.

Danny looked down after seeing his daughter clutching her stomach in pain. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Sam wrapped her arms around Danielle, rubbing small circles onto her daughter's arms to try to soothe the sudden pain."It's probably the cheese curds she ate. I told you they were too rich."

As she doubled over in her pain, her knees almost buckling underneath her, Danielle took a sharp intake of breath before she leaned into her mom's hold for support. "No Mom, I don't think it was that."

"What is it then?"

Danielle huffed as pain continued to course through her "I just feel wrong. Like a part of me is being ripped away. I just feel like... like." Her glowing green eyes flourished into a luminous light as her back stiffened, and her eyes went beyond the people in front of her.

She opened her eyes to see a dark metal chamber with a time medallion in the corner. She felt sick, _unnaturally_ sick. Her entire body was almost numb, her mind hazy and unfocused. Whatever body she was in, it was not that of her own. Danielle knew she was still with her family—she could still feel her Mom's arms grasped firmly around her—but it was as if she was in two different bodies: her own, and someone else's.

Back with her parents, with her voice still working in her physical body, she asked, "Dan... Where did you come in from? We need to know how to get to you."

A gravelly low voice broke through. "The bay. There's an entrance under the bay."

Danielle's eyes returned to her normal green as she looked up at her parents. "It's under the bay."

* * *

They were now north of Lambeau Field—still fairly close, seeing that the screams of the fans still echoed in they're ears. As they stood before the large bay of the city, the two halfas grabbed hold of all the full humans on their team and phased them through the water below. Within seconds, they saw a metal structure that looked to be a winding tunnel that stretched further out at the bottom of the bay. From what they could tell, it looked to reach the field.

Once they were in the tunnel like structure, and without warning, a voice came over the PA system that was stationed in the top of the tin. "Honestly Daniel, you should have just phased down through the stadium. But I suppose this does get fewer people in the way. You were always concerned with spectators of our feud. How pathetic. Now, I take it you know that your bodybuilder duplicate is here, but what you might not know is that he only has a couple of minutes before the universe takes back what was never his. The question is, can you reach him in time in the labyrinth that is my lair?!"

Danny looked at his daughter; agreement pooled in their eyes as their thoughts almost seemed to sync together. "We still have to try, right?"

She smiled, her hands already sparking with energy as green fire swallowed her hands. "Yup."

He gave a proud smile in return. "Good. Sweetie, double beam."

Daniele pointed just left of the room that Dan was hopefully being held in. "With pleasure.

"Now!"

Both Danielle and Danny fired their plasma beams in the direction she pointed as the combined power of their blasts ripped through each and every room, but to no avail, there was no sign of Dan.

Danielle took a breath before she gripped the top of her hair, pulling at the strands as hope of finding Dan began to dwindle. "Yeah, no. This isn't happening."

They rushed down the seemly endless tunnel, the only light source beaming from both Danielle and Danny. The only sound was that of their feet hitting the metal of the tube and water droplets hitting the ground every now and then.

They were soon met with a two way split, causing the group to have to rather quickly decide which way to turn.

Danielle moved her fingers to her earpiece. "Jazz, please tell me you have something, anything about this place yet. We're sitting ducks down here and Dan's losing time. _Literally!"_

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing showing up about tunnels down there. I can't even see you. It's as if you're literally underground; not in a tunnel. I would be able to see you if it were. I think he has it protected with something so I can't see."

"Just great."

Izzy sighed, locking her gun to make sure it would be ready in a pinch. "We better split up. Sam, Danielle, you two come with me. Tucker, Danny, you guys go right, while we go left. Phone us if you find anything."

They nodded in recognition and parted ways.

* * *

The three girls kept at a fast pace as they looked for any sign along the metal walls of the tunnel. Minutes passed, and there was still no sign of the older halfa. No one wanted to admit it, but every second that passed, the chances of finding Dan became grim.

However, Izzy was not one to give up. "He has to be here, somewhere. I'm not giving up, just like he wouldn't give uo on me."

But the thing was, Danielle could hear the sadness in her voice. Izzy's lips her pressed tightly together, her honey liquid eyes glossed over with anger and determination. Her body somehow matched her expression; her back stiffened to a straight line.

Elizabeth Fenton was a fierce sight, but Danielle could see through Izzy's hardened exterior; she saw the fear just below the surface.

Out of nowhere, something began to gnaw at the back of Danielle. Something was calling out to her, wanting to lead her somewhere. It was to a point where her Mom and aunt began to melt away; her mind was turning into complete mush and her feet started to move on their own accord.

Before she knew it, she was at a seemingly normal wall of the tunnel. It didn't look out of place, just a repeat of what they'd seen thus far.

But something was telling her to shoot.

 _Do it._

The voice in the back of her mind was that of her own, it sounded like her. Maybe it was an extension of her vision power? It didn't matter at the moment; shaking her head to rid herself of the thoughts, she backed up a few paces.

Turning to her mom and aunt—who had apparently been watching her the entire time—Danielle said, "Step back."

Lifting her hands, Danielle focused all her energy into her hands. Ectoplasm took shape around her fingers, and with her aim posed at the wall, she fired a blast, making the wall crumble into nothing but rubble and dirt.

The fallen wall now exposed a pitch black hole that was hard to see beyond the darkness for Sam and Izzy.

But not for Danielle. What she saw before her both excited her and filled her with fear.

Dan's chamber stood in the distance, where Danielle knew that while the two woman next to her could not see, they could hear him fight to stay in existence. It was a scary sight for the young halfa, as she saw her uncle blink in and out of existence.

Letting the plasma on her hand light up the room, she allowed it to be used for Izzy and her mom to see beyond the shrew of black.

Finally seeing her husband in such a state, Izzy ran down the path that Danielle had made. She reached Dan's chamber, seeing his being blinking in and out of reality. Putting her hand to the earpiece, she called out to the halfa, "Danny get in here, now! We're down the tunnel we went, take a left, you'll see a hole. Hurry!"

Danny flew to the room as fast as he could, making it without a moment to spare. Seeing the medallion on the floor, he picked it up and shoved it into Dan's chest.

Dan cried, _"Damn it,_ that still hurts!"

Danny's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "You just endured a week of torture and that's what hurts?"

Izzy gave her husband a chaste kiss, spun on her heels, and strutted out of the room with an air of confidence that she knew Dan loved.

While Izzy made her way to the whole that lead out to the main tunnel, Danny easily blasted the chains off from Dan's wrist and ankles. Looking to the freed halfa, Danny asked, "Tell me again why you didn't just the blast the chains off?"

As Dan stumbled to the floor—Danny immediately grabbed for him before he made contact with the asphalt— he gritted out, "Because that fruit loop had those chains enforced with some energy that wouldn't allow me to use my powers."

Danny nodded in and understanding, which made Dan turn his attention back to something had confused him.

As much as he loved it when his wife had that much confidence, he was confused as to where she was heading."Where the hell are you going?! We've gotta get out of here."

Izzy called back over her shoulder as she disappeared out of the huge hole."I'm not leaving 'till I have my trophy."

Dan looked to Danny, obviously confused as to what she meant. "What the hell does she mean by that?"

"She's gonna punch Vlad in the balls."

"Man, I'm gonna-"

Danny flinched, he raised his hands to stop his brother from finishing the rest of his words, all the while, holding back vomit. "Please don't finish that sentence, I don't wanna know what you two do in your spare time."

Curiosity filled Sam's amethyst eyes as she asked, "Won't you be too injured, even then?"

Danny gave her a confused look.

Dan smiled. "For that woman, it's worth it."

As Izzy rushed past Danielle, she yelled over her shoulder, "Gonna punch Vlad where the sun don't shine! Make sure my hubby doesn't do something stupid!"

"Make sure to film it for me."

Izzy made it to the control room. breaking down the door with the Fenton Knocker. She saw Vlad standing proud at his controls. The moment her eyes landed on him, anger boiled in every vein of her body, and she wasn't going to hold back.

Once Vlad took notice of her, he scoffed. "Oh look, the housewife. What are you going to do, throw an overcooked muffin at me?"

Izzy tossed a small circle of metal at him that expanded over his body, holding him in place. It suited around his body, contorting to his body.

He struggled around a bit, trying to break free of the contrapment, but to no use; the metal bards would not give away. "Why can't I phase out of this? This isn't Fenton Tech!"

She smiled in victory. "Nope. It's one of my own creation. Also, I'm not a house wife; I work at the diner, which I currently co-manage. You really shouldn't assume people's skills. Maybe you should work on your people skills as well."

His nose scrunched in anger for only a flash of a second before he regained his deadpan face. "It matters not. Soon, this whole base will be flooded and your little tech won't be able to withstand the force of the bay rushing in."

Her smile shifted into a smirk. "Good thing I only need a moment."

"Wait, what?

* * *

Danny handed Dan over to Tucker—as to have his hands free for when they would need a blast—as he and Danielle led the group back to where they entered. Danielle kept pace with him as they went to retrieve Izzy.

 _"Ahhhhh!"_

Danielle smiled, her toothy grin layered with happiness. "Sounds like aunt Izzy accomplished her mission."

Izzy came running up from behind, rejoining the rest of the group. "We have to turn around. Vlad's flooding the base!"

Danny grasped his daughter's hand. "Danielle and I will just phase us all out like how we got in here."

Dan struggled as he tried to stand on his own—which only lasted for a second before he slumped back against Tucker's hold. "Ugh about that. You can only phase a certain amount of people at a time. This ain't a game of Barrel of Monkeys with phasing and I can't phase right now."

Danny's eyes widened, with his jaw dropping opened in realization. _"Shit!"_

Tucker breathed out, "Yeah, you're telling me. I thought _you_ were heavy, man. Please, if you love me at all, don't ever work out. I don't think I could handle two Dan's."

Sam's eyes immediately scanned the long tunnel that surrounded them, trying to find a way out. There was nothing.

"How the heck are we going to get out then?"

Danielle paused, running through every possible scenario that they could do before snapping her fingers as one hits her. "Wait, he loves those old James Bond films."

Not understanding where her daughter was taking her idea, Sam asked, "So, what?"

"So, what did the villains in those films always have in their base?"

Danny's eyes lit up at Danielle's idea hit him. "A hidden escape route!

"I'm sure the fruit loop would have one here too, but where?"

Clicking the communication device, Danielle spoke. "Hey Jazz, can you pick up on our signal yet? "

"Loud and clear. I'm not sure what happened, but everything is showing up on my monitors now. I can see exactly where you guys are."

"Where are in correspondence with Lambeau Field?"

"It's just to your front right!"

"Dad, we need another double beam!"

Without hesitation, they both fired and clear a path, something silver and shiny caught everyone's eye in the distance. The smell of fresh air, sweet cut grass, and mounds of fried food brushed past them.

 _"Go, now!_

As they ran to the room in the distance—with Tucker supporting most of Dan's weight, _again_ — Izzy looked to Dan, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "You know, that position you were in was kind of... you know."

"Can we _not_ do this here?"

Danielle and Tucker added. "Or at all?"

That's when a familiar voice reached their ears. "Oh no you don't, you little creations! Take your duplicate! Take your harlots! But Danielle is _mine_! She is my property and disappointment or not, if I can't have her, then you can mourn her!"

Vlad reached out for Danielle as his face sunk in, twisting his features to that of a withered corpse. At the end of each bony finger were razor sharp plasma blades. He gripped her suit, ripping the back off almost entirely, revealing her scars from so long ago.

 _"See, child! They damaged you!_ Come back home where you actually belong. They are unfit to care for you! You may have their biology running through your veins, but I _made_ you! You're my daughter."

Danny jumped in front of Vlad's attack, ripping his hand to the side, revealing flaming white hair. _"She'll never be your daughter!"_

Danny blasted Vlad with all his might, knocking him through wall after wall—leaving a trail of crumbled plaster—until he was out of their sight.

Sam looked at Danny and kissed him soundly on the lips, extinguishing his flaming hair.

Tucker, who was losing his strength to carry Dan, ushered the two to hurry up. "Come on, you love birds! You can make out _after_ we escape!"

They all run to the room to see a giant version of the Lombardi trophy.

Danielle had to stop herself from kneeling over in laughter. "Oh, that's pathetic."

Danny went to grab Dan from Tucker's arm, knowing he had a better build to hold the beaten halfa. Looking to his daughter, he responded, "No time for pitty, get in the trophy."

They all squeezed in, bodies pressed tightly together.

Tucker, who had his girlfriend practically on his lap, asked, "Can we just talk about the sheer stupidity of the time and resources that Vlad used to make this."

Izzy pressed the activation button just as the water began to weave its way into the room.

* * *

"And it's halftime folks, here at Lambeau Field. All players and personnel are off the field and soon, our musical guest will be entering to perform their hit single."

The announcer was interrupted as the giant trophy broke through the center field, causing the fans to grasp in shock and awe. Water soon followed and flooded the entire field.

The announcer looked to his co-host.

"Does this mean the bears are washed out?"

* * *

Water flooded the control room, freeing Vlad's physical form from his restraints. _Those pests! I was going to use that statue to congratulate the team when they won the Super Bowl!_

The group felt the statue crash into something soft as they bobbed up and down. They opened the door to see themselves in the middle of the Green Bay stadium.

As their makeshift escape contraption continued to bobble, Izzy looked on in awe at the damage to the field. She scooted closer to Dan, as not to fall into the water. "I can't believe that was just something that happened."

Jazz's voice crackled over the communication piece. "You know, he used to use a giant football to cover up his ghost portal in the Ghost Zone."

Izzy carefully laid her head against her husband's shoulder, happy for the moment of peace that she knew wouldn't last long. For now, she had him back. All she cared about was getting him home and tucking him into bed to rest and refuel. "I'm really happy I had twenty odd years without all this weird shit."

Dan chuckled as he brushed his nose lightly against her hair. "Eh, you missed all the excitement, just admit it."

Izzy lifted her head and kissed Dan; a much longer, sensually kiss that held all the words of how much she missed him over the course of the week. "I missed _you_."

Tucker, being the loving person that he was, broke the sweet moment. "Aww. This is great and all, now how do we explain this to the city?"

"Eh, it's not like they weren't going to renovate the stadium in a year anyway."

* * *

 **Get it? Cause they renovate the stadium like at least once a year. Well, now that we have Dan back, Vlad's pissed, and Danielle's wondering just what her visions bring— the question being, was that voice part of her power— what does Vlad plan to do now knowing that he might have a sample of Dan? I guess only time will tell! See you guys next time! Love all of ya. Shoutout to beta reader silente64. I am going out of town for the fourth of July from the 4th, to the 6th, so the next chapter might be delayed a day or two.**


	7. Chapter 7: The Monster's Of My Dream

**Chapter 7! This has to be my favorite chapter yet. I hope you guys enjoy! Please leave a review if you'd do so kindly. Trigger warning for mentions of past abuse.**

* * *

"Whatever you do, _do not_ look into the windows."

"Why?"

"Honey, please. Just trust me on that."

"But, Mom. I'm not scared."

The older woman weaved her fingers through her son's inky black hair, her chipped nails snagged on a few strands as she tried to comb through."That's what I'm afraid of."

His innocent five-year-old eyes filled with curiosity as he searched that of her own. While she was young, her face had been aged with fear desperation. For as long as he knew, for some reason, his mom always looked over her shoulder. Especially when it came to _that_ house.

Unthreading his mom's fingers from his hair— and placing it in the small space between them on the bed— He asked, "Why are you always afraid of that house, Mom?"

Her gaze went to the window, out into the blanket of night that covered the small town in a seamless effort of protection. Across the street sat a worn down out of business building that had been condemned long ago.

Without being able to break her gaze, in a soft voice, she said, "I'll tell you when you're older, sweetie. But until then, please just listen to your mother."

Nothing broke the pitch blackness that crawled in through the window and spilled over into the room; surrounding them. It always surrounded them. It never left.

* * *

He sat at the table, reminiscing about the fact that his father had been gone for a good month now, and the daily fear of being physically abuse gone with him. His dad was gone, and while it wouldn't be forever, the young boy would cherish for what time he did have.

His mother sat in the seat across from him. He knew what this was. It was what he had always waited for when he was a little kid. "I think it's time you know, at least a little bit, of what you saw. Back in the 50s, when I was a kid, things were not like how they are now. Kids were nearly fearless and your mother was no exception."

Her lips trembled for a second before she forced herself to relax with a deep breath. "I had always been a little strange and kids picked up on it real fast. They called me, Lucky Lucy because, anytime something bad happened, it wouldn't affect me. It seemed like I had a guardian angel, but I'm not sure that's what it really was. One day, a group of my friends decided to go exploring and we wound up at that old house we walk by on our way home."

The tears that stung at the edge of her eyes pulled at his heartstrings. Her skin pebbled with goosebumps along her arm. "The one I tell you never to look in. I should have known you would be drawn to it, like I was. Anyway, the place was old even back then, it was falling apart at every angle. So naturally, the other kids sent in Lucky Lucy to explore."

She gave a short scoff as she gulped down more air. "Because if anyone could live through that place, it would be me. Like you, I went upstairs and saw the closet door. It was open just a crack and it was like it was calling to me. I walked with fear in every step but I just couldn't stop myself. Finally, I had reached the closet door and placed my hand on the ornate glass knob. Shivers went down my spine as I slowly pulled it open.

He watched as shivers racked her body as she relived the memories. "I wish I hadn't ever opened that door. I wish you never had to see what I saw. The eyes the teeth. It was like the smile of a long dead predator. When you told me the same description, my heart nearly stopped. It looked down at me and placed one of its bony hands on my head and whispered 'It's okay, child. I will not leave you until he is ready.' I had no idea what he was talking about but since you followed my footsteps to the very same door, I suppose he meant you. It was so strange though. After you were born, my good luck seemed to fade and soon…I saw things. Horrible things, that I hope I'll never see again, Vlad."

* * *

Danielle opened her eyes to an all too familiar scene that she had dreamt about years ago. It was that same cold air, the same deep plum colored sky, her hands still bleeding from breaking the glass. In front of them, was a green portal that looked like the Ghost Zone. They ran for it with all their might.

They were weak from starvation. Their skeletal like features reflected this fact and just before they could reach the portal they felt something incredibly painful in their chest. Looking down, they saw an oddly shaped spear protruding from their chest as green ecto ran down it. A hot liquid filled cough splattered ecto all over the luminescent grass in front of them as the sky grew brighter and brighter.

Their plan had worked a little too well. They did everything they could to reach the portal before the light overtook them, but the heat was too much. Soon, all the surroundings were white as a fire blazed through their veins and ripped away at their being.

They awoke in a dark room surrounded by shadow. "Good morning, ghost. You seem a little worse for wear but... I can still use you. After all, halfa blood is the purest even in your state. But it will not last long and neither will you. But even a broken object can have some value in my collection."

Danielle knew by just the voice as to who this shadow was. But the body she was in, did not as they asked, "What are you and why do you want me?"

The shadow's glowing red eyes skimmed the length of the body, slowly drinking on the view of them, "I want all things and you halfas, are a rare company. You see, I'm somewhat of a collector and I dream of spreading my collection. As for who I am... I'm merely a Shadow of what I used to be."

Danielle knew the Shadow Master was dead, and this was only a memory, but it still made her stomach drop. It felt too real. She felt too involved.

The body that she inhabited feel to their knees, clasping their hands together as they pleaded, for mercy. "Listen, if you let me go, I can help you. Whatever you want, whatever you need!"

Danielle started to take notice of who the other voice in this bodys' was. It was hard at first— separating the two mixed voices of her own and the owner of the body, but eventually, it ran clear.

The Shadow Master's head tilted to the side in an amused manner. "I doubt you can offer me something of value. So please, just lie still."

"Wait, there's a halfa on earth!"

Their predator scoffed. "Ah yes, Danny Phantom, I am aware, but he is more trouble than what I can handle at the moment. So, if you don't mind."

He raised his hands as he begged once more, knowing that he was on his last leg. "There's another! One younger and far less experienced. She would be a great addition for you."

"How do I know she's real?"

Vlad smiled. "Because I made her."

* * *

"That monster!"

Once again, Danielle awoke to Tucker sitting up next to her, the edge of the sun peaked on the lining of the landscape of hills, creating a glow against the walls of Danielle's bedroom.

Setting properly on the bed, Tucker pulled her into his arms once more. "What happened? Was it the parade again?"

Danielle couldn't answer. She was shaken to the core as she realized that Vlad had been around for far longer than any of them had realized. He sent the Shadow Master to her. He was the reason that that ghost knew about her in the first place.

The thought of him being back for that long was intrusive in her mind and invaded her comfort in a way nothing had ever before. Every happy memory she had experienced in the last 8 years, was now tainted with the idea that Vlad could have been there. Every step she had taken, she was followed by that monster.

The Shadow Master, Dan, everything she had accomplished was undermined by the mere fact that he _let_ it happen, that he clearly had the power to intervene and stop her but for some sick twisted reason, he just allowed her to grow and become stronger. Everything that happened to her, including her happiness was just something he allowed.

If he allowed her to become as she had, how strong was _he?_

He was the cat, while they were the mouses, and he knew that.

Tears began to stream from her eyes as Tucker did his best to comfort her. But as he held her, comforted her, it only made her more terrified. If Vlad had that much control and that much power, what's to stop him from taking him too?

"Danielle!"

In less than a moment, Danielle could feel herself being submerged into the dancing river inside his gaze. It was calming like a cool gentle rain on the years hottest day. Her heart jumped back down from her throat and righted itself into its usual position in her chest.

She wiped away her tears and loosened into his warm embrace. "What was that, sweetie?"

He turned on the light on his side of the bed as she began to tell him every detail she could remember and then the implication of her realization. He could feel his heart sink into his stomach as he saw the fear every word brought out in her eyes. His worry was not of Vlad or his power but how much this impacted her.

She was amazing and fierce and everything he never knew he dreamed of and to see her question every moment of joy because of one man made him sick.

They talked for hours until they finally fell asleep as the sun slowly crept up into full view, wrapped tightly in each other's arms.

* * *

Sam knocked on the door for the third time without an answer. She knew the door would not be locked— not that she enforced it— but simply because she knew the two of them. She made her presence known as opened the door just a crack.

Peeking her head through the crack, she smiled at the sight before her, the two still holding on to each other. So intertwined with each other that she didn't know where one of the started and the other ended. It was such a pure love, something Sam was thankful that her daughter had. She couldn't wipe the smile plastered in face, even if she wanted to; not that she did.

Danny walked up behind her in his morning haze, curious as to what put a smile on Sam's face before her morning coffee. He looked at the two laying in the bed and then back at Sam. "I swear, if he doesn't propose to her within the year, I'm gonna sic Dan on him."

Elbowing Danny in the stomach, Sam hushed her husband. "I'm not even ready for her to get her own place, let alone get married. I thought this crud wasn't going to happen until at least our late thirties, heck ten years ago I wouldn't even babysit my little cousins. But now all I can do is watch as our girl is drooling onto our best friends shoulder."

Danny downed the rest of this coffee before setting the mug aside and going to stand directly behind Sam to wrap his arms around her waist. "You know, after Vlad's been dealt with and things go back to normal, it won't be long until she has her own place. An empty room that could be filled with anything. Plasma screen, home office…"

"Makeshift greenhouse."

"Or….. a nursery?"

A look of shock filled Sam's eyes, her lips parted as her jaw dropped a bit. She looked like a fish out of water as she gasped for air.

Danielle stirred from the spot on her bed and wiped the drool from her mouth that had dribbled down her chin during the night. "Mom? Dad? What's going on?"

Sam smiled as she returned her attention back on her daughter. "Nothing, sweetie. Your Dad was just discussing some interior design with me. Just some stuff that might happen in the near future give or take a few variables."

Danny's face filled with joy. "Really!?"

Turning around in his arms, she quickly halted his thoughts. "Hey, don't count those chickens before they hatch, buster. We've got bigger things to worry about at the moment than... Interior design. It might be an idea for later but it's just that— later."

"Mom... I have something I need to tell you."

* * *

"You mean to tell me that he's been here since the Shadow Master?"

Danielle nodded as her tired and hungry boyfriend mowed down on an extra large breakfast burrito.

Her mom sighed as she sunk lower into her seat at the table, tangling her fingers into her hair. "I can't believe this. This whole time he's been on earth and nobody knew."

Through mouthfuls of food, Tucker breathed out, "I 'ess it makes 'nse about that gang in Chic'go." Gobbling the rest of the food, he continued. "He can't exactly show his face anymore, so the black market and unground must've been his only option."

Danny rolled his eyes as he finished the remains of his third cup of coffee that morning. No one in the family had gotten much sleep the past couple of days. Trying to find clues as to what Vlad was up to was exhausting. With Dan out of commision, and Izzy looking after him, they would have about another week before the two could even think about helping.

Placing his cup in the sink, Danny said, "Yeah, the guy can't go half a year without having someone kissing his boots."

Pushing her runny eggs from Nasty Burger around on the plate, Danielle signed at the unappetizing sight of her food. No matter what she did, she could not make the food look more appealing. "I just can't wait 'till this is over with. I'm so sick of having fast food."

Sam laughed. "Wow, with the way you and your Dad eat, I thought I'd never hear you say that."

Danielle huffed as she forked another piece of her breakfast and forced it down her throat. "Well, let's just say, you're a way better cook than Dash will ever be. I still have nightmares from home-ech."

Sam smirked at the memory of Dash's cooking attempts in class, taking another small bite of her food as well, Sam said, "It's all in the organic, sweetie. A little touch of real nature goes a long way."

With another mouth full of food, Tucker added, "Well I for 'ne, love my mega beef and potato breakfast burrito."

Reaching into the cabinet, Danny pulled out another packet of coffee to make. There was not enough coffee in the world at the moment to keep the slumber at bay it seemed. "Ah yes, the MBPBB, for short."

Looking up from her plate, Danielle asked, "Is it really any shorter?"

Choking down the rest of his food, Tucker gave his girlfriend a face eating grin. "Nope, its name is almost as long as what happens after you eat it."

Danielle rolled her eyes, but the smile never left her lips. "Anyway, colon cleaning aside, what do we have planned for today on how to catch that megalomaniac?"

* * *

 _"Ugh!_ Those imbeciles almost ruined it! My labs can survive floods but not plasma blast and with my now limited resources, thanks to everyone know about my identity, I can't fortify each base like I used to. All that work with that Baheamith, for _nothing!"_

Vlad slammed his hand on the wet control panel. In the distance, he can hear metal hit the ground, rolling around on the asphalt. "Oh great, now what!?"

He walked to the other room, which lay an operating table with tubes and needles scattered about from the flood. On the ground, he saw a large container filled with a glowing green liquid. Seeing the container, a smile spread across his face, the wrinkles that became elected into his face made his skin fold like dried leather.

He walked into another room and sits in one of the chairs still bolted to the ground. To his left, looked to be some form of breathing machine with a mask only large enough to fit over someone's nose and mouth. The walls of the room were lined head to toe in mirrors all cracked from the flood. He reached over to the machine and opened a compartment placing the glowing cylinder inside.

Electricity flowed through the green liquid as it changed into a gas-like substance.

Vlad picked up the mask and took a deep breath as the reflection looking back at him changed from that of a middle-aged man, to a rotting corpse.

Placing the mask over his face, he deeply inhaled as his features began to return to normal and his body relaxed to a more comfortable position. With his voice muffled by the mask, he rejoiced in seeing his physical changes. Blue wrinkled skin, the proud green scar, and glowing red eyes. He no longer looked like the corpse that he had a few minutes prior.

"Oh Daniel, how I love the gifts you give me."

* * *

She awoke once again. This time, the sun was just a bit further up when she noticed that for once Tucker was still asleep when she woke. She was sure that she had made a noise upon waking, but with how often these night visions had been happening she knew it had to take a toll on him as well. In her pajamas she duplicated herself making sure to leave a copy of her lying next to Tucker for when he woke up.

Danny woke up to the smell of fresh waffles and sausage patties, tofu sausages for her mother. He walks out to the living room to see Danielle passed out in one of the chairs. Checking in on Tucker he sees Danielle's duplicate passed out next to Tuck. Walking to the table he picks up a note.

 _I know we hadn't had time for a real meal, so I thought I would treat everyone. If whoever is reading this first, please make sure I didn't leave the burner on._

Danny chuckled at his daughter's note. "Heh, you never cease to amaze me, kiddo."

Looking at the table he noticed another note, only this time it was far less innocent. Reading it, Danny noticed how the event in Danielle's visions was starting to get more recent and realistic. This might be more than just some bad dream or a subconscious use of her powers. It might be a connection. Whether that was a good thing, Danny had yet to find out. But for now, he thought it best to let her sleep and hopefully enjoy some pleasant dreams.

* * *

Danielle awoke in a dark and bright neon alley, rain pouring hard on her head. "Ugh... Did I just wake up in blade runner or something?"

Walking out of the alley, she saw what looked like a semi-futuristic version of Amity. The streets were dark, only illuminated by the headlights of oncoming cars and the neon lights that overtook every building.

Trash littered the streets, rats scurried across the granite. The smell of smoke was tantalizing as it burned at Danielle's nostrils. The air was dead silent, as was any background noise that would usually accompany the night.

Never in all her life, had Danielle known for silence to be the scariest sound.

The sky was compressed of nothing lifeless black. No stars, no moon. Completely barren. It was a hard sight to look at, seeing as she loved looking at the sky. It always brought her a sense of freedom.

At first, it was hard to make out what they were saying but they seemed to become clear the closer she got to them. One of the signs read: _"Your inner hero awaits at VM Lab's. Everyone can be super, it just takes an extra step._

"What the heck does that mean?"

Her eyes landed on an oversized TV monitor that sat on top of a rusty run-down building, with Vlad's face staring tauntingly down upon the streets. "Worry not, citizens. For you will have the power to shape your own destiny! Rise above social status and above the sky itself! When you have powers you will fight for what you believe in! You will be unstoppable!"

Somewhere behind her, a familiar voice reached her ears. "Unstoppable my butt. You'll be nothing more than his slave. Just a puppet doing the will of the "Supreme Leader." I can't believe he actually calls himself that. It's like some demented child that watched too many Saturday morning cartoons."

Danielle turned around to see her grandfather standing, teetering on the line of where the shadows and light from street lamp met. His wrinkled skin lined with scars and nearly half his body had been replaced with rusted machinery. He looked closer to death's door than she and her dad did in their ghost forms. Behind him, in the darkness, she could make out the glow of hundreds of plasma rifles.

"Tonight we take down our "Supreme Leader and restore true freedom to the world. For everyone oppressed by his madness, for everyone we lost, for my family. _Vlad Masters rule end's now!"_

Danielle screamed, "Grandpa!" But her words went unheard. He rushed towards her, followed by an army of people wearing torn and weathered hooded cloaks. Danielle winced as the mob ran at her.

She closed her eyes, expecting to be trampled by nearly a thousand angry feet but was surprised when she heard the wet stomping move past her. Opening her eyes, she saw the hooded people phase through her and not the other way around. Looking at her form, she is indeed human at the moment yet, she could not explain what was causing her intangibility.

 _This isn't time travel, nor a different universe. Lily would be here and I would have to have a medallion. Plus, people wouldn't phase through me. I've done enough traveling with Lil to know._

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the boom of a massive explosion, followed by the screams of hundreds of innocents.

As she broke from her thoughts, she noticed her grandpa and Vlad standing face to face, a challenge in both of their eyes. "Good Ol' Jack. I wondered when we might have our reunion, my old friend!"

Her grandpa growled as he raised his gun. "I'm not your friend! You took my son, my wife, and everyone I ever loved. You're nothing to me but pain. But I'll make sure that no one will ever have to feel the way you've made me feel ever again!"

Vlad didn't remove his gaze from Jack as he said, "Danielle, sweetheart. Do a favor for your father and hush him up for a bit. Oh, but be careful. I don't want him dead. Maybe just... oh I don't know, take out the other eye?"

This Danielle rose from the ground in front of Vlad. This was nothing like the monster that was DNA. She was the _definition_ of beautiful. Silky, snow white hair that softly curled around her face and seemed to glow in the faint light that was around them. Her fiery emerald eyes set aflame and burned with a purpose. Her baby face held no flaws on the skin. Just smoothe tan flesh that looked well taken care of.

While Danielle couldn't see the rest of the woman's body, due to the cloak that she was immersed in, she still could see that this witch held herself strong, prideful. Much like Vlad.

This Danielle emitted power, and she knew how to use it. Unlike herself. Though the layers of evil that Danielle could see on this woman, she also saw the confidence that laid in her eyes as well; as much as she hated to admit it, Danielle was saddened by the fact that she couldn't feel like that, no matter how hard she tried.

When her rose-colored lips parted, and words spilled from her lips like music, Danielle wondered, not for the first time— could _she_ be that dangerous? "What of the other rebellion, father?"

His smile stretched further at her question. "They are mere dirt to us. If they miss their families so much, then you can reunite them."

Her grandfather froze when he saw Danielle. She walked up to him as he began to shake, his weapon was now loose in his grip. "My sweet Danielle. Please, remember who you are. Remember your dad, your real dad. Remember how much we loved you. Know how much I still love you. Please."

This— this whatever place she was in— Danielle produced plasma claws on the tips of her fingers, clawing out her Grandfathers non-cybernetic eye.

The real Danielle screamed at the sight of her grandfather kneeling on the ground clutching at his bleeding face. The force of her scream causing her to propel backward and land straight on her butt; the sheer force almost breaking her tailbone.

For the first time someone was aware of her presence and just for a moment, Vlad looked in Danielle's direction before floating down his Danielle and her grandfather. "You are just as weak as I remember. You all were." This monstrosity of Danielle gripped onto his clothing and followed Vlad into the skyline.

"What is this place?"

* * *

"Oh my gosh! These waffles are excellent!"

Sam looked at Danny as a strand of syrup hung from his chin. "When do you think we should wake the little chef?"

He smiled at the image of Danielle sleeping peacefully in the recliner. "Give it a little bit. She has been having a lot of long nights lately. She needs to catch up on her sleep."

* * *

Speakers blared over the corner, just a few feet away from the alley was now stashed away in until she knew what to do. "Please, remain calm. This area is being searched for rebel insurgents. You have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide!"

Even though Danielle knew that she couldn't be seen, she hid behind one of the dumpsters in the alley as bright lights combed the surface. It was a harsh and unwanted contrast to what she was used to seeing of Amity Park. "What is all of this?"

 _Maybe I'm being stupid for hiding, but I'd rather be safe than sorry._

The lights soon passed her, allowing her to come out from hiding.

She reached into her pocket to text Lilith but her phone was not there. "What's happening?"

She looked across the streets, passed the fallen rebels, to see tall hooded figures in pitch black silk robes. They seemed to glide down the sidewalk as they made their way towards her hiding spot. Were they ghost or something stranger?

Whatever they were, Danielle did not want to risk them discovering her. Although it seemed no one in this place could see her, there was something about those hooded beings that made Danielle not want to risk it. She turned around to see a thick fog had devoured the alleyway. In the center of the fog, she could make out a dim light.

Looking around her surroundings— and seeing no help, nor exist in sight— and with all other options deemed too dangerous, she ran into the fog.

* * *

"Okay, I think she's got enough sleep. it's almost 1 in the afternoon."

Tucker, who had awoken only an hour ago, walked over to the chair Danielle was in and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. "Sweetie, time to wake up. It's almost one and we're gonna get some pizza."

She didn't move an inch or respond in any way. She was breathing, that much was clear but for some reason, she didn't respond. No matter how hard he shook her. No matter how loud he yelled.

Looking to the kitchen where the two were still seated, he screamed,"Danny, Sam! Get over here, _now!"_

* * *

Upon entering, her skin did not get damp as she thought it would. In fact, nothing about this fog made sense. She could breath easier the more she was enveloped by it. Finally, she reached the center when she closed her eyes and opened them to reveal she was now in a strange dark room with hundreds of monitors.

In the center of the room was a holograph of the earth, with several sections either black or glowing with a fiery intensity. Danielle— the evil one, she corrected— stood, with her back to the holograph.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, Danielle saw a hooded figure standing at the open door, facing outward.

Returning her attention back to the scene in front of her, Danielle watched on as a man in front of the monster, kneeled, obviously begging for his life. "Please, Mistress! I won't fail you again! If you give me another chance I promise I will—"

She threw her head back, laughter rumbled deep from her stomach as her body shook with the sound. "You'll what?! I have the world at my fingertips, a father who can get me anything I want. But the one thing he can't do, is allow useless vermin like yourself to infest his home without a reason!"

The guy who had to be in his fifties, balding white hair and lab coat wrapped loosely around him, looked to be the verge of tears. "Please, I'll do anything! Just let me live!"

The _Mistress's_ — as he had called her, and honestly, an easier thing for Danielle to call her as well— eyes skimmed him, a sinister smile plastered her face. "Heh, You've been faithful to us. So I'll give you one last chance. You have the next 24 hours to fix it and to make sure it works... you will be the one testing it."

He relaxed for only a minute he heard he had more time, but his body instantly dropped as the rest of her words hit him. "Wait... You can't no one can stabilize it in that time! There is only a 40 percent chance— tops."

"And that, is not my problem."

"Please, no!"

Her head snapped up, her eyes going past Danielle and to the door. "Guards! Take him to his lab. He has a long night ahead of him."

Two men entered the room but the hooded figure at the door did not move but instead, the men passed through him as though he was not even there. The figure turned to face Danielle.

"What are you doing here, child?"

* * *

Jack read the results over thrice. "Her cognitive functions seem to be working from what I can tell but I'm not sure why she isn't waking." Jack removed the equipment from Danielle's head. "I don't know what could have caused this. Do you think it could be her powers?"

Danny shook his head as he held his sobbing wife all the while they looked on at their daughter, who laid still on the metal table. "Maybe, but her powers never made her fall into an unending sleep before and before you say it, Tucker: no, kissing her again will not wake her up. It didn't work the first three times and it won't work the fourth."

"I know. This is serious. I just don't know what to do. I don't even know what to do and Nocturn has been missing for over a year now, so that option's out the window."

* * *

Danielle was caught off guard and stepped back as she fell, as the sky now laid above her. She could feel the wind press heavily against her back. She could hear people below getting louder and louder and just as she was about to impact she felt something soft yet cold cushion her back.

She was lying on a padded table inside Vlad's old lab... The very same one she was created in. It lay in ruins and standing in front of her birthing tube, was Vlad's hand pressed sentimentally on the empty chamber.

She snorted at the sight. He didn't care about her, what he had done to her was not love, it was abuse. Knowing she was invisible, she muttered under her breath, "You've gotta be kidding me. Like you actually care."

His head snapped to attention. "Danielle? How did you know to find me here?"

He had noticed her. He saw she was present and now she was stuck with him. She looked around the devastation as the lab began to build itself back together.

Soon, the scene changed entirely to that of a young boys room and when Danielle looked back at the old man what she found was a frightened boy. "Please, don't leave. I don't like being alone."

Without realizing it, Danielle had raised her hand at the boy as it glowed bright green with a burning intensity. If she let loose and unleashed her power, she could end it right here and prevent the years of suffering he causes not just herself but the world. Then she looked at the boy and saw fear written on his face and loneliness in his eyes.

 _This isn't time travel, it doesn't matter. This isn't real._

The light of her hand dimmed as she realized what she had just contemplated.

He was innocent and scared. just like she was in the beginning. She knew that he was Vlad and he was the one who had hurt her so much... but in his eyes, she saw a just a boy who had no idea what atrocities Vlad Plasmius had committed.

The bottom of his lip began to tremble as tears welled at the end of his eyes."Please, don't leave."

She slowly sat on the bed as it curved to her weight next to him, careful not to jostle the kid too much. "Why are you alone?"

He gave a limp shrug. "My friends are afraid, they say he scares them."

Her shoulders began to relax as she faced the little boy more to get a better view of him. Bruises painted his face, a cut bleed along his lip. His dirty clothes was a mess on his body. "Who scares them?"

His eyes went to his hands, fingers laced together as he avoided his gaze. "My dad, he yells a lot. People say he used to be really nice but he isn't anymore."

A ping of guilt hit her as she realized what he was saying. "What about your mom? Where is she?"

 _He's been abused. How long has this been going on? It doesn't make any of what he's done to me and everyone less, but maybe he wasn't born a monster: Maybe was made into one._

His timid voice carried little volume, but it still met her ears. "She's always at work. When she get's home, she's really tired but she still plays games with me. I just wish I could see her more."

"How old are you?"

He scooted closer, leaning into her side, she couldn't help but comply as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Seven, I think."

Danielle felt hopeless as she comforted the small child, her heart conflicted. He looked so innocent, yet, she knew the monster he would one day become. Even she knew he was too far gone. Sometimes it was just too late; and it hurt to admit that. Because one look at this helpless boy, and she wanted to lift him into her arms and run far away.

Because no matter what, no one deserved this.

Not even him.

"Child! You do not belong in this place!"

Danielle turned around to see another of the hooded figures. He stood tall and firm at the doorway; arms crossed, and obviously ready to keep her from running if she tried. Through the shadow's of the mask, Danielle could make out greasy slime green skin. But that was as far as her vision would allow her to see of this thing.

The young Vlad stepped in front of Danielle, arms spread in an effort to defend her. "You won't take her, I won't let you!"

"Boy, you know not what you do. This is for the best of both worlds."

He tried to defend her. Vlad stood up to this thing that could see them both and he defended her, and it stung even worse to know what a sweet child he had once been. What he could've been. Who made him such a monster? Was it really just his dad that had a hand in all that he's going to become?

The hooded figure lifted up its hand and the world around Danielle began to meld and spiral. The room went back to being normal, however, when she looked through the doorway now, a shadowed figure stood in the distance; somehow unreachable, even Danielle knew that.

She wanted to run towards it. But something told her to stay put. As the figure started to take shape, countless numbers of the dark hooded figures surrounded her. "You have seen far too much of this place, child. Now, you must remain as to ensure our plan does not falter."

"Who are you!"

"We are the watchers of the realms, the protectors of peace and sanity, we are the Observants of the Universe and we have watched for far too long as humanity has destroyed and concerned. Now with this vessel, we shall forever separate our kind from your filth!"

"Since I'm never gonna leave, you can at least tell me where I am."

The hooded figure hissed out, "You are in a twisted place, be that of our own creation. You are in the inside of our puppet or to put it simply, _you are in Vlad Master's mind._ "

* * *

At this point, the entirety of the Fenton family were crammed in the small apartment— figuring it was best to bring her back home after the tests showed nothing abnormal— as they did everything they could to wake Danielle from her slumber. One by one they went up to her trying to talk her out of her dream.

Maddie looked to her son. "You're up first, sweetie."

* * *

In the child's room that was the center of Vlad's mind— after the hooded figure had made the little boy disappear as if it was nothing— they told her she wouldn't be able to leave, nor escape. She was trapped in this bedroom so that she couldn't cause any trouble. This would be the place where she dwelled in for the rest of her life.

As she faced off with the creatures, trying her hardest to come up with a plan, Danielle saw what looked like a ghostly apparition of her father. He was hardly there; nothing more than a whisper of smoke, but she could definitely make it out to be him.

He was feet away from her as he called out desperately, "Danielle please wake up. We need you back here."

She went out to grasp at the vision of her dad, but her hand was met with nothing but empty blackness. He had disappeared almost as soon as he had shown itself.

* * *

Roy asked, "Nothing?" A worried look written on his face as he held Jazz tightly in his arms.

Danny stepped back, shaking his head. He urged Sam forward, hoping maybe she would be able to get through to their daughter. He watched as his wife stumbled over to Danielle, her breaths came in shorts little pants as she forced the air in and out of her lungs.

No one said a word— the heavy silence that laid over them was oppressive— as they watched on at the lifeless girl that was slump over in the chair.

* * *

Danielle gasped, her legs gave out, making her crumble to the ground as the hooded figures removed the cloth that shielded their identity upon seeing Danny's presence.

The observants hovered between the doorway that lead out of the house. The one that had told her she would never be allowed to leave, looked to the other. "Their consciousness is starting to merge. Something has to be done! The fact that she got this far into his subconscious is amazing as is. This place is protected, no one should be allowed to be here. "

Her mom was the next to appear in the twisted place. Sam's frame was the same smoky shadow as Danny's. She cupped her hands over her mouth as to yell, "Sweetie, you're tough as nails and whatever's happening, you can fight it! We all believe in you."

The observents did everything they could to rid the connection but as Danielle and Vlad's mind began to meld images and memories of both began to appear as apparitions all around them.

The room was now filled with hundreds of people saying million different things. It was so hard to focus on her family in the confusion and Danielle began to lose her sense of self.

She felt everything that she was being shown, and in a sense, she felt nothing at all.

Only a voice filled the bedroom next. "I know I haven't known you for that long. But I plan to make up for lost time. Please come back to me. Your family is waiting for you."

Dannielle heard what she _thought_ was Roy's voice but with all the apparitions his voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. She could not find him in the crowd no matter how hard she tried.

This was it. She was lost in the spiral of the two minds becoming one. She would be forever lost in the mind of a monster while her family fell one by one by Vlad's hands and there was nothing she could do to stop it. After all this time growing, she was just as powerless as when she crawled out of the goop.

* * *

Everyone became tense as one after another, person— Jazz— tried to wake her, but ultimately failed. Tears flickered at the edges of the group's eyes. No one breathed, no one moved. WIth complete silence, the feeling of dread washed over every member of the family.

Figuring this was their last option, Tucker went up to her and whispered something in her ear as to not have anyone else hear his words. "Danielle, please wake up. I love you. Please, you're stronger than he'll ever be. In fact…."

* * *

Danielle collasap— curled up in a small ball, her forearms pressed against the side of her head as her fingers tangled into her messy black hair— to the ground as she covered her ears with her hands to muffle the voices. As the now thousands of voices screamed out at her, she heard what sounded like the faint voice of someone familiar.

Tucker.

Chains emerged from the carpet to hold her in this twisted place, but the louder Tucker's voice became, the less this place had a hold over her. The room was soon gone, and then the landscape that was the horrid remains of Amity Park, soon gave away and became bright and beautiful.

Then Danielle herd Tucker say something wonderful. Something so amazing— the words were not clear, but his smooth voice brought a sense of ease to mind, and she knew whatever his words were, they meant something— the room went blindingly white as the Observants were the only beings left.

She had left the twisted world of Vlad's mind and was now in the sanctuary of her own, where they had no power.

She was done being told what to do.

She wasn't leaving without a fight.

She raised her hand, straightened her back and she held herself high. She narrowed her baby blue eyes, and bared her teeth in a warning and in a low, powerful voice, said, " _Leave!"_

The observance began to fade from her mind as her white surrounding shaped into something a bit more familiar. She could feel her head starting to lighten as whatever grip the observents had on her lifted.

She opened her eyes to see her Tucker holding her tight. Tears in his eyes.

* * *

 **And there we gooooo. Dats my baby Danielle. I love her so much. I hope you guys enjoyed. Isn't it fun to explore the villain's mind? Lets see what becomes of the information that she found inside his head, shall we?**


	8. Chapter 8: Haunted Broadcast

**Ch. 8! This chapter. All I'm gonna say is that, I'm happy as what I gave Vlad's backstory as. I think it really suits him. Please review. I would love to know what you guys think of his backstory, it really helps inspires and lets me know if you like it or not. Thank you, guys!**

* * *

Black clouds sponged Danielle's mind. She could not sleep, no matter how hard she tried. This night her entire family was over, making sure that she was okay. On occasion members of the family would have to check on some ecto activity but they never went back to their own place when they were done.

It was strange to Danielle. Vlad was back and he was the most powerful entity they had ever faced but for that night it seemed like he didn't matter to them. They all were so busy protecting the ones they love that they didn't care about fighting the people who hated them. In the end, it did show on Danielle just a little. The thought that for just a couple of hours, the world outside didn't matter. The antics of a madman didn't compare to the love they had for her.

Still, her night was strange. Her reality didn't seem right even with everyone trying to snap her out of it. She didn't even want to close her eyes for fear that her powers would take her to another unwanted place. The wind was almost silent that night as it whistled through the leaves on the trees and the well kept damp grass just outside her window. Fully awake for hours, she still had not stepped back into this reality.

Although she had escaped Vlad's twisted mind, her thoughts still dwell there as the image of the child that had indeed been Vlad. He stood around every corner that her eyes tried to escape to. It was funny to her in a way, that the most haunting thing about the experience wasn't the horrors that she had witnessed, but rather, the kindness and innocence that still lingered deep within Vlad's unconscious mind. The thought that someone that evil had a redeeming factor that even tried to defend Danielle was mind boggling at best. He was small, scrawny, and had a thick head of dull charcoal hair.

The Vlad she remembered seemed nothing of the sort. Yet, she knew he was not just a figment of his imagination and at one point, he really was that kind. For the first time since she escaped his grasp, she began seeing him as human— at least, the little boy she had met— rather than the monster haunting her dreams. It made her sick and uncomfortable to have such a foreign idea in her head. The feeling of sympathy for the man that beat her and almost killed her just to activate her powers.

But she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Vlad was at a point of no return. This wasn't a Dan situation, and it wouldn't ever be. She had something always itching at the back of her head that Dan could be redeemed, even when she tried to shoo it away. When Dan had been the enemy, she still had hope that weighed deep inside, something just screaming at her; with Vlad, there was absolutely _nothing._

So, for this, she would mourn the little boy. Because that's what you did when innocent lies were gone: you mourn for the dead. Something had killed that sweet, kind boy that had seen the horrors of the world before he was a teen.

One thing that struck out to her. The one thing that the observents had said: how was allowed in Vlad's subconscious when apparently no one should be able to enter that depth of his mind?

Looking around the living room, Danielle saw the entire Fenton and Manson family. Grandpa Jack took up the recliner, her Nana and Grandma were pressed awkwardly against each other passed out on the love seat, both women sound asleep— those two had grown oddly close, especially over the years— Tucker had passed out on her bed about half an hour ago and as strange as it was, Dan and Jeremy were seated in the kitchen, talking about _grill techniques_ of all things.

Then there were Jazz and Roy or at the moment, who Danielle would refer them as, 'Helicopter one and helicopter two.' The two of them did everything they could think of to try and calm her, but in the end, she just wished they would relax and give her a chance to do the same. But no matter how she voiced her feelings of being okay, they wouldn't deteraite, nor slow their pacing between her and the door to make sure nothing got through.

As of this moment, aunt Izzy and her mom were out on patrol, while Dad listened in on the Fenton Phones to make sure if things got too real, he could be there for them. In reality, he knew the two could take care of themselves but with everything that was happening, he did not want to risk it.

Danielle walked over to her grandfather as drool ran down his chin, his snores slightly muffled by the mounds of white hair that plunged his mouth. He looked absolutely peaceful; she wondered how long it'd last.

Danielle breathed out a small laugh. "At least I know where I get it from." She gave her grandfather a gentle push, doing her best to wake the man. "Grandpa?"

He jolted awake, blinking his eyes rapidly as he came to, and scoured his surroundings for any signs of danger. His shoulders instantly sagged at the sight of his granddaughter. "Oh, Dani! How are you feeling, sugar pea?"

She gave a soft smile. "I'm doing alright. I just had a question for you. What was Vlad like in college?"

Jack's eyebrows scrunched up, as he pushed the leg rest of the recliner down, he righted himself so that he wasn't so sunken into the seat, and more comfortable as well. She had obviously taken him by surprise. "Well, that's a question I didn't expect tonight."

Fearing that she conjured up some bad memories that her grandpa didn't want to relish in, she quickly backtracked. "You don't have to answer, in fact, I really understand if you didn't."

He gave a reassuring smile, no resentment glistened in his eyes. "No, it's more than okay. You see, when Vlad and I first met, he was all jumbled about. He was carrying my weight in books and even then they were expensive. So, when one of them landed in a nearby puddle I could understand how stressed he was."

The corners of grandpa's lips slightly twitched upward, only the barest smile could be seen by how close she was to him. "I told him I knew an old trick on how to dry it out without a whole lot of damage and he was slightly relieved. We went back to my dorm room and while the book was drying we talked.

His gaze slowly went past her as he got lost; memories played in his mind's eye. "We talked. you know, it must've been a little past three AM by the time we stopped. The book had been dry for hours but it didn't matter. We were lost in all the things each other had to offer. That sort of thing went on for the next semester and soon enough, we became great friends."

She could hear the remorse in her grandpa's voice. "Finally, one night he came up to my room his shirt soaking wet from the pouring rain that day. I offered him one of my shirts so he wouldn't get sick, but he refused at first. I thought it was because it was more than a couple sizes too big but that wasn't the case. He evidently did change and I guess I should be honored that he felt as comfortable as he did around me."

His voice became thin as he rehashed the memories bouncing inside his skull. "All over his back and stomach were deep and long scars. That night he told me about his father, and how when it was just him and his mother, they did anything they could to make sure he could get into college and make something of himself. He said it was his chance at a normal life. Everything he did had to be planned to the tiniest detail, because everything he had on him was everything he owned. He couldn't afford to lose one book."

Danielle could see the beginning of tears fighting on the edge of his eyes. His words soon had a raspy cough to them as he forced them out. "A couple weeks after that, we were in the student lounge watching the Packers game when he got a call. His mother had passed away. It was an accident in the factory she had been working at. From that moment on Vladdy seemed to be more reserved."

If the two women on the couch had woken, or Dan and Papa had started listening in, they said nothing as Jack continued his story. "The next semester your Grandmother attended and found him in the stairwell. It had been hard losing his mother. She was all he had for so long and with Maddie's mother sick at the time, the two connected with each other. Little did I know that Vlad wanted more than a friendship. The last time I saw him I was so angry. I felt utterly betrayed. But now... Even with everything he has done and what he has become. I just wish I had my old friend back."

Danielle sat silently for a while as the weight of her grandfather's story sunk in.

Breaking his thoughts of the memories, Jack slid to the edge of the recliner, patted Danielle's shoulder, and shoved himself off from his seat. "Now, I think you should try and get some sleep before Tucker takes over the whole bed."

Danielle smiled. "Thanks, Grandpa."

While Danielle still felt off in her mind's eye, her eyes finally refused to stay open. Balancing on the tip of her toes as to keep her steps light, she whisked herself into her bedroom. As she shuffled into bed and laid next to Tucker, she lifted his limp arm and wrapped it around her. The techno-geek opened his eyes for only a moment seeing his beloved he smiled and then closed his eyes once more.

* * *

When Danielle woke, she could hear her family having a rather lively discussion as she and Tucker stirred under the covers. They looked to each other in annoyance of having to leave the warm confines of the bed. Throwing off the covers, the two of them walked out into the living room to see about three dozen doughnuts sitting on their coffee table.

"Sugar Pea!"

Wiping the gunk from her eyes, a smile spreads across her face seeing her entire family sitting in front of the TV, eating their early morning junk food. Along with the doughnuts were two large gallons of whole chocolate milk, Danielle's absolute favorite.

Scuffling across the room, she planted herself between her parents, and grabbed one of the milk jugs, chugging down the chocolatey goodness.

As her grandpa ran through all that was playing on TV, he looked to everyone and asked, "So, what would a Saturday morning be without cartoons?"

Stretching out on the couch, Danielle leaned into her Dad's side, while resting her feet onto her mom's lap. "Grandpa, I think they got rid of Saturday morning cartoons a little while ago."

As Jack flipped through the channels, he sighed as nothing caught his eye. "I know, but that's not gonna stop me. Let's see, we have Disney, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and Nicktoons."

"What about regular Nickelodeon?"

"Eh..."

She nodded in agreement as she grabbed her dad's hand and started to play a game of thumb war; it was always a game that lost at. "No, you're right. Except for the occasional hit that never last, we all know, Nick kinda took a dive after 2007."

Just as Jack was about to switch the channel for the millionth time, he was instead, subjected to a faint hum as colorful bars line the screen. At the bottom, there was a line of text apologizing for the malfunction. Changing the channel only revealed that something similar was happening to every channel.

Everyone shifted in their seats, moving closer to the edge to get a better look at what was going on with the screen.

Jack looked to the rest of his family. "What on earth is happening now?"

The TV finally released an image but what was on screen was something no one wanted to see.

The room on TV was extravagant dark tiles layered the floor, numerous painting lined the walls, a red carpet stretched from the back wall all the way to the camera, and hidden in the shadows in the back of this room was the outline of a figure sitting in what looked to be a throne.

And on that throne, was perched nonother than Vlad Plasmius himself. With his back straightened perfectly against the chair, with one leg crossed over the other, and one arm rested firmly on the armrest while the other held an expensive wine glass tightly in his hand. His dead red eyes bored into the video camera with his signature smirk that melted into his lips.

Vlad's scratchy voice clawed against everyone's eardrums as he spoke. "Hello, citizens of this planet. Now, I know I have spoken to you recently but seeing as I had to steal the show on my last special I thought I would treat you to something with a higher production value and much better writing. Just a little PSA to start us off."

Any and all air died in Danielle's chest as she dropped to a crouch, her hind legs barely supporting her weight as she watched the monster on screen. What was he doing? What was he planning? In a matter of minutes, this had become a game of chest: and Vlad was somehow moves ahead of them. If he could so confidently air on TV with his exact location, then he had things up his sleeves that neither she, nor her family had yet to comprehend.

He continued as if it was nothing. As if he didn't know what he was doing to her and her family; but he knew. He knew how to play his game. "A short time ago, your beloved hero's had invaded one of my homes and in the process, endangered countless innocent lives. What might you ask, is so important that your heroes would risk your lives. Well, it would be none other than Dan Fenton. One life worth that of the thousands attending a proud and beautiful event. That is who your heroes are! Selfish and only caring about themselves. They think that because of who I am they have the right to take innocent lives into their own hands, but I, on the other hand, am kind and only use violence when necessary."

Danielle couldn't help herself as she pushed herself up from the floor and screamed, "Tell that to the people in those buildings, you bastard!"

A hand suddenly touched Danielle's shoulder, causing her to leap from the ground and hover between the space of her feet and the floor for a moment before she turned to only see Roy standing there. She sighed, and slowly left dropped back to the carpet.

Roy gave her an easy smile, all the while trying to put her at ease. "Save your energy. There's no point in fighting an image."

After taking a sip of what everyone assumed was an expensive wine, Vlad continued. "So, to prove that I am willing to settle this without any unnecessary casualties, I invite both Danny and the rest of Team Phantom to my humble of abode. The address is listed at the bottom of your screen. But to make sure even more that our confrontation will not harm others, I will be using something I have been working on for a long time."

The shot changed from Vlad's throne room to the outside of a beautiful Victorian mansion. From the center of the building, an orange beam rose to the sky expanding and creating a ward around the area.

Maddie's eyes widened in disbelief. "Roy, tell me that's not what I think it is?"

With his jaw unhinged, Roy tried to find the words for a few minutes before he could choke them out in disbelief, "How! How could that monster have that!"

The rest of the group— minus Jazz— were confused as to why the two had reacted this way.

Danny looked to Maddie. "Mom, what's going on?"

Her eyes wouldn't leave the TV. Her gaze still hypnotically locked onto the screen as she realized the implications of the situation. "Jazz, Roy and I had been working on a shield. Well, more like a system of shields. They were designed to protect an area from any major ecto attack."

Roy, who was rubbing the nape of his neck as he paced from the living room to the kitchen was growing in anger. "How the hell did he get a hold of them? Us three were the only ones who knew of their existence!"

Izzy spoke up from her spot next to Dan on the loveseat. "I don't like this. How the heck did he get ahold of our tech? If he got a hold of that, what's to stop him from getting ahold of anything else we have on file?"

Vlad once again appeared on the screen. "I look forward to hosting my guest."

Danny spoke up from his seat next to his daughter and wife. "We have to do something."

Sam's face scrunched together as she sent the halfa a harsh glare. "Are you insane that's not just a normal trap that has trap written in giant freakin' neon sign!"

Danielle squirmed. "Can we _not_ bring neon signs into this, guys?"

Sam softened her gaze as she turned her attention to Danielle, and gave her an apologetic smile to the twenty two year old. "Sorry, sweetie." Her amethyst eyes went back to Danny, her anger rushing back in. "Daniel James Fenton! We just got your big ass duplicate back from that fruitloop, I'm not losing you too!"

Dan flinched from his spot next to Izzy upon being mentioned. "Can we leave me out of this? My blood pressure isn't back to normal yet."

Sam ignored his quick interruption. "He wants you to show up so he can take you down in front of the world. If he does that, people'll begin to lose hope we can beat him."

Danny sighed, resting his head against the wall behind them. "I know. Right now, we're walking a tightrope but we can't just let this pass us by. We need to find out something about what his plan is."

Roy looked to Jazz. "Well, if you're going, you might as well be prepared. I've been working on something for a while. I wanted it finished when you went to Green Bay, but it just wasn't in the cards at the time. I think I have them working now though."

Roy took out what looked like a belt buckle that was secured around his waist."This little guy is what I call the Spector Protector. All ghost have a sort of ecto signature, harmless of course, but still, this is how we are able to track them. This device hides the signature from the wearer, no matter what state they are in."

Danielle looked at her father. "Let's do this."

* * *

"The latest in a string of disappearances has now risen even more. Last week, young Adrian Carloph had gone out for a club meeting which he never returned from. This supposed club has popped up a lot recently with the families of those who have gone missing. What this club is, we are still unsure but we advise viewers that if they receive any invites to an unknown meeting or seem to get an offer too good to be true please, use caution and do not accept these offers. Now, for a live view at the location of Vlad Masters, we have April O-Neal. April."

Outside of Vlad's little protective bubble. was hundreds of soldiers and news people in front of the vans. The reporters were sprinkled across his yard. People were talking into camera's, the whole thing was abuzz with the idea of seeing Vlad Master.

 _You'd think, with people knowing how dangerous this person is, that they'd stay locked away in their houses. But no, not the people of Amity._

Danny looked to his daughter, who's stare bored onto the huge place that Vlad resided in, as her body wobbled in small tremors. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean I would understand it if you just wanted to keep an eye on the civilians."

Instead of answering right away, she interlaced their arms, which seemed to calm her shaking frame. Definitely a Daddy's girl. "Dad, this is the best chance to find out what he's been doing."

"Only if you're sure."

Danielle nodded and pressed her earpiece. "Roy, activate the Spector Protectors."

After a moment a faint hum came from their new belt buckles as a couple sparks flew from it, fizzing out before it made contact with the damp grass. "You two are good to go. Now, about that shield. Inside the Spector Protectors' a highly advanced prototype. it's not perfect, so when I activate it, you'll only have two seconds where you'll be able to phase through the shield. I originally made the two devices separate but now I guess they work better together."

Danielle took an even breath, letting the air soothe her heart that beat wildly against the bones that caged the organ. "Okay, we're in front of the shield."

"Ready in one….two...three... _Now!"_

The two halfas walk through the shield— the blue veil of protection enveloping them without any sign of detection.

Tugging his daughter closer, a means to keep her safe, he whispered, "Let's do this."

The two rushed for the giant twin doors that loomed over the entryway, their feet hardly kissing the floor as they almost _flew_ through the halls— they would've flown in the first place, but Danny wanted to keep their use of powers down in the case that Vlad had somehow created something to detect anything that was used that could be considered ghostly; which included their powers— making sure that Danielle kept pace the entire time.

Phasing through another door, they saw that the mansion was lit only with candlelight that barely illuminated the blood red carpet on the floor let alone the dark walls. As they walked through halls they heard faint screaming in the distance followed by the sound of machinery powering down.

In front of them, was a door guarded by two men in strange uniforms. Both were intimidating at the very least. "Sounds like we have another Drainer."

His companion shifted his head to the side, but as far as Danny and Danielle could see, they could only assume that he was looking to the other guard as his eyes were protected by darkened sunglasses. "How the hell can you tell by the scream? Even the few that succeed still scream when it happens."

"Yeah, but I know the difference because the ones who succeed and who're still screaming afterward."

"Good point. Ugh, I can't see crap in this lighting! Why the hell do we need to have this damn place so poorly lit?"

"Relax, it's ambiance. Besides if you tell these idiot's they're going to be made halfas you want the right ambiance."

His friend shrugged and resumed looking on ahead, his hands laced together and relaxed in front of him. "It's a bit much if you ask me."

"Okay, where would you have it? A Chuck E' Cheese?"

Even though the shades, Danielle could see the harsh glare that was sent towards the other guard. "Hey, don't you joke around about that crap... Those animatronics are scary as all hell."

"Yeah yeah. Keep it for your buddy Mike."

Danielle and Danny's instantly phased through the nearest wall in order to speak and not have to worry about being overheard.

Danielle's questioning gaze melted into her Dad's, cold sweats trailing down her forehead as the ability to breath was cut short for a moment. When the air did return to her lungs, her words were quiet, "Vlad's creating more halfas? Why on earth would he do that? I mean, doesn't more halfas mean more opposition to his might rule? Another thing, people can't handle the DNA change that it would take to become a halfa. We don't even know exactly how you and Vlad survived, but Clockwork has made it clear over the years that the only way another halfa would exist would be by you and mom having Lilith and DJ. No other halfa could be _made._ "

Danny moved to pull her into his arms, almost as if he was afraid that something would pop out any minute and attack them. "That's not the part that bothers me... What are Drainers?"

Danny soon reluctantly pulled away. Looking around, they couldn't see a single thing. Though dangerous, they knew it was best to at least see whatever trap had for them if there were one. The room was dead. Nothing whistled through their ears, no footsteps, not even white noise rumbled in the background.

Danny watched on as Danielle raised her palm and ignited a spark of plasm but immediately put it out. What he didn't expect to happen was for Danielle to double over— arms grasped at her stomach—as all her food spilled out in variations of chunks and sizes onto the tiled floor. The sound of her retching was horror to Danny's ears and made his heart drop into his stomach.

He ran over to her, pulling back her snowy hair as the last of the food she had that morning left her, leaving little bits drabbled around her mouth and spit dribbled down her chin. As she straightened, and her glowing emerald eyes looked out in front of her again, Danny could see Danielle for a split second but the look on her face would last until the day they died.

That's when he smelt the wretched stench that made her puke.

He pulled her back in his embrace, but this time, she gave no response as she limpleslly stood in his arms. "Danielle, I need to see. Turn away."

He heard no response from her.

 _"Turn away!"_

Finally, he felt his daughter turn the other direction in his arms. Igniting a plasma flame, Danny saw that the room was huge and on the floor were countless people drained of all beauty and life. The most disturbing thing was what they were wearing. Each and every one of them was dawned in black and white costumes, the same design as Danny's original suit.

Without turning to face the other halfa, he rushed out, "Danielle, get out of here, now! We can have Roy activate the shield phase and I can stay here to gather more info."

Just then, they could hear a slight hesitation in Roy's voice over the intercom run in his the twenty-four year old's ear. "Danny, um, some bad news. Like I said, that function's only at a prototype stage and while they do work, you only have one more use in them. There's also the fact that at this stage, any time one is activated they all are. Meaning..."

Danny sighed, finishing Roy's train of thought. "Meaning that if I stay after Danielle leaves, I'm stuck here."

"'Afraid so."

"It's okay, Dad. I can still go on."

Danny's eyes narrowed in frustration at his daughter's willingness to go into the unknown. "Danielle Jane Fenton, this is no longer just some recon mission, those people are _dead!_ They're dead because we couldn't stop him. Because he's been back nearly the whole time we thought him absent and because of that, their blood is on our hands. If I walk out of this nightmare, more innocent people will take my place. I'm not gonna let that happen."

Danielle's burning emerald eyes nearly lit up the darkness with their intensity. They showed her stubbornness to stay without her having to speak a word about what she wanted. She wouldn't leave him. Family didn't leave each other; especially in times of need.

Danny sighed. He knew he wouldn't win this fight. Her gaze held steady, unbreakable. Just like her mom. "I know... I just can't lose you."

The two phased back into the hallway, still in a state of intangibility. To their surprise, they saw that the guards that had been positioned in front of the door were passed out with large welts on their heads.

They scanned the room for any other signs of threats that could've caused the scene that laid out in front of them. The sound of the little torches that lined the way of the hallway crackled in their ears, but nothing else followed. Not a heartbeat but their own, not a breath from another person, _nothing._ Just them, their thoughts and the lifeless guards in front of them.

With finding nothing looming over them, Danielle asked, "Okay, _now_ what's happening?"

They heard a door slam in the distance, pondering where the sound originated from.

* * *

Vlad sat upon his throne enjoying the lovely game that was on the monitor. Seeing the players in their spectacular uniforms run about, tackling the opposing team, it was spectacular. His attention was taken away from the screen when he heard the door to the room creak open slightly.

Vlad's eyes lit up at the thought of Danny having finally made his way to him. It took him long enough. "Honestly Daniel, I thought you would have been brighter than to actually accept my invitation. Tell me, why are you really here?"

Vlad's eyes widened as the door opened further to reveal his new guest.

"To save my friend."

* * *

With his eyes locked on ahead of him, Roy felt his heart fall into his stomach, his eyes searched for any rational reason as to what he saw before him. But again, nothing sat upon the metal container that held the devices that Maddie, Jazz and he created. When his fear raising, Roy yelled for Jazz from the other room, "Honey!"

Jazz came rushing in, frantically searching for the reason of her fiance's screams for her, a Fenton bat held high in her grasp. "What is it? Did something happen?"

Roy would've laughed, if not for the seriousness of the situation. "It's complicated. I just need to know one thing: How many Spector Protectors did Danny and Danielle take?"

"Two, why?"

"We've originally had three. They're all gone."

* * *

Standing in front of Vlad's throne, was none other than Jack Fenton. No weapons, no armor, just a shiny new belt buckle."Vladdy, I've known you for a very long time and just this morning I was asked about you and what you used to be like. Instead of saying you were always some monster with an evil plot I said what I knew."

Jack continued, even without a being acknowledged from his old friend. "You were my friend and I was yours. When we first met, you were so miserable, nervous about everything and only after, you learned to relax and have fun together did you seem happy. For the first time that I had known you, you were happy. Even today, I don't think of you as a monster or a madman... I think of you as a friend who has lost his way."

He was begging at this point, but Jack didn't care, he just needed his friend back. "Vladimir, you were like a brother to me. I'm not here to fight or distract... I'm here to get my friend back. Please, as hard as it might seem... I forgive you. For pining after Maddie, for all the evil plots. I forgive you. Because I know that deep down, that scrawny kid who I talked with 'till three in the morning is still in there. Please, I just want my friend again."

A single black tear hung from Vlad's eye. "You forgive me? _You forgive me?!_ My mother sacrificed everything so that I could get out of that hell hole town so that I could go to college and have a _normal life!_ "

Vlad jumped from his throne, and in a flash, before he was able to blink, Vlad was in front of him. "When she died, she was at a job that hurt her every day to pay off the loans I needed to have that normal life. And it was going well until the accident that you caused! She died in vain because of you! So, if you want to forgive anyone for the thing I have done, then forgive yourself because _I never will!"_

Vlad's face contorted once again as it was the last thing, Jack Fenton saw before he fell into darkness.

* * *

 **Uh-oh, Jack's in trouble, lets see how that pans out, shall we? And what the heck are drainers? Sorry for the late post, I just finished finals for my summer class.**


	9. Chapter 9: A Soul Tainted

**Ch. 9. Here we are, folks! I don't have much to say about this one. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Danny and Danielle peaked only their heads through the wall— invisible, and undetected to any unwanted people— to see if the thing that had knocked out the two guards maybe still lingered there, but to their surprise found nothing yet.

As Danielle glazed through the dark hallway, they heard a terrible scream that sounded eerily like her grandfather coming from the large doors at the very end of the hall.

Her eyes locked together with her Dad only before a moment before they broke contact and sprinted towards the set of double doors. They stood stiff as they reached their destination, just mere feet from the intimidating door.

Danielle cast a sideways glance at Danny, with heartache plastered on them both. "Do you think that was-"

She had no time to finish her sentence when her Dad blasted the doors off the hinges, revealing Jack Fenton holding his blood covered face, planted on his knees, squirming in pain.

Vlad stood, proud at his work, arms crossed, the smile he wore borderline that of insanity. That was when Danny realized: this was not the Vlad Plasmius he once fought as a kid. He was ruthless now. Bloodshed was nothing. Consequences be damned.

Looking down at his Dad once more, seeing the pain that Vlad had caused him, Danny's entire body lit up with ecto-energy, his eyes dissolving into nothing but ravenous green anger.

His voice remained low, controlled as he spoke to his daughter, eyes not leaving the scene before him. "Danielle, take him to the shield."

"Dad, we only have one use of the Spec-"

 _"The shield, Dani!"_

Guilt ate at her, she _really_ didn't want to leave him, but the authority in his voice left no room for defiance. She walked over to her grandfather and picked him up and began to walk out. Before she left, she saw her father's hair burning pure white as heat radiated from his very being. That was all could see before she went to make her exit.

Running down the hall she heard the door slam shut. She had only seen her Dad at this stage when Vlad tired to grab her in Green Bay... But still, this seemed more. She could feel the anger in his eyes.

But she couldn't help herself as she was halfway down the hall, she peered behind her, down the hall where her Dad was. That was the moment she knew she had to get her grandfather out of there as soon as possible. Her Dad was beyond anger and she knew it wasn't safe in the building.

It was a hard task, however, getting her Grandpa out of there. Danielle knew without a doubt, if she didn't have her ghost powers— strength included— she would not be able to support the man that was basically slumped over her shoulder.

She had finally made it outside and was almost to the shield when she heard what sounded like her Dad yelling. The words were drowned out by a piercing scream that sent shivers trailing down her spine.

Wanting to get out as soon as possible, she called over her earpiece, "Roy, now!"

She heard nothing on the other line.

 _"Roy, we don't have time for this! He knows what he's doing!"_

Danielle heard nothing from Roy, but did hear the beep activate her belt as she ran through the field. Finally making it to safety, she felt the ground shake beneath her feet. Looking back inside the shield, she saw Vlad's Mansion expand in an enormous green explosion. Smoke filled the shield until finally it too disappeared in the explosion.

Danielle looked in horror at the wreckage fearing what had become of her Dad. In the smoke and debris, she saw what looked like a figure walking toward her and the people surrounding the exterior. From the wreckage, walked her father, blood, beaten, and clothed only by the smoke he created. His steps are manic and unbalanced. Without a moment's notice, he collapsed to the ground, barely breathing, but definitely alive.

* * *

Danny's mind was spinning as he sat on their bed. Sam was still at the hospital with Danielle, doing their best to keep the families spirits up. From what he knew, the worse his Dad would suffer was a left missing eye. In truth, if Danny knew his Dad any, he knew the older man wouldn't let it be a downfall. He would turn it into something awesome by his own hand.

He always knew how to do that. Jack Fenon, no matter how much he grew, would always be a child at heart.

But rage still filled Danny's heart. He had not yet stopped shaking since the moment he discovered his Dad squirming in pain at Vlad's feet. The fire that filled his veins as he looked at Vlad for what he truly hoped was the last time. Vlad had hurt his daughter, and he wouldn't stop until everything he loved was turned to ashes.

For an instant, Danny had looked upon his enemy as he judged every wrongdoing he had ever committed and without a second thought, he let his fury take hold until finally, it had no place to go but out.

Then it was over. He crawled out of the wreckage bloody, bruised, and upon seeing the horror on his daughter's face and his injured Dad, he realized that his rage had fixed _nothing._

 _Violence doesn't fix anything, Dad. It only creates more violence._

His daughter's words haunted his mind, even as several hours had passed.

Vlad was sure to have survived as he always did, but this time it was Vlad who had won without laying a single figure on him.

 _I'm always a step ahead of you, Daniel. Never forget that._

Those were the last words Danny had heard as he burned the place to the ground. When he saw the pain Vlad had inflicted on someone he loved... He didn't even know if there were still people in the building with them or if the shield would withstand the blast with it never being used before. His eyes went white and the world around him followed suit.

He didn't win, this wasn't a victory. They had lost and it was by his hands.

* * *

As Dan sat in the hospital waiting room he saw the recovery team on TV removing the wreckage from the mansion. So far, they had found a few people on the outskirts of the building. All of them alive by some miracle, although they won't be too happy about it when they spend the rest of their lives in a cell seeing as they were all followers of Vlad's from Chicago.

Although it had been a long time since Dan felt the connection between himself and Danny, he didn't need it to know at least some manner of what he was feeling. Taking a life, accidental or not, leaves a mark, and while they had not found anyone who wasn't dead to begin with at the mansion, he knew Danny. Dan remembered every last life he had taken from both this earth and his own.

He had been a monster for so long, it was only with Izzy and his children that he had the strength to live on and try to find a different identity than the one he had made. But Danny, the hero of this world, Dan never wanted him to feel this pain.

 _Heh. How things change._

* * *

His jaw was the first thing to falter. It hung unbalanced and askew. His skin burnt and smelled like nothing the human mind could comprehend or forget. The evening mist that he had once enjoyed, stung his raw flesh as he left pieces of himself nearly everywhere he walked. He had begun to reform, yet every time, he was drawn closer to the black.

His immense power was being drained little by little with each passing day but now that he had to use so much just to remain on this earth, it would be wise in his eyes to both find and make more. The town he once ruled over was quiet and not a soul could be seen on the streets. Upon seeing what their hero was capable of the town of Amity fell silent. Yet he could feel it. Someone with the energy he needed. Fresh and young.

* * *

"Jack-Jack, you know the rules! When mommy takes you to work, you'd be on your best behavior. That goes for you too, Kath! Don't think I won't put your butt in time out, we both know I will."

Izzy had been working on dishes for a while in the back as she heard her children running a muck in the dining area. There were hardly any customers that day with the event on TV. No one knew what to think. Neither did she, to be frank. She had been wanting to call Dan, but decided against it, seeing as she had work to be done, and he was making sure his Dad was okay.

The bell atop the door shirreled as she heard the wet footsteps of a much-wanted customer enter.

 _"Mommy!"_

Izzy dashed out to the dining area to see her son protectively clutching his sister, before them, a horrifying sight that not even her nightmares could have dreamt of playing before her.

A deformed, decayed and burnt Vlad limping toward her children. His skin peeling from his body as the bones cracked with every limp step that he took; his other foot dragging behind him. Muscles were scattered about— very few— but what was there, was clasped tightly around his bones. A fine sheen of some sticky substance leaked and stuck to his bones.

He reeked of spoiled meat. It clung to his rotting body and the few pieces of clothes that still hung to his person.

Izzy's eyes blurred with red as she saw him inching closer to the scared tykes.

 _"Not my kids, you monster!"_

Izzy took out the sidearm she kept under the register and without hesitation, she jumped over the counter— the carpet masking the sound of her landing— and created a crater in the center of Vlad's head, scattering ecto on the wall behind him. His limp body hit the ground as Izzy had Jenny take the children out the back to safety.

Izzy's breathing was heavy as the pistol had more weight to it than before she had fired. Her limbs started to become weak with the weight that began to bear down on her. Leaping over the counter again, she tried to make a mad dash for the exit for the back— needing to go and make sure her kids were alright— but her body froze as she heard him speak.

With his attention now directed on Izzy, Vlad unhinged his jaw in a means of a smile: a twisted, unnerving smile. His voice echoed in a gutterly scratch. "Your tears still fill the floor. Two lives almost lost forever. Should you have passed, it would have made an _excellent_ haunting."

Izzy turned and looked up in horror as Vlad's corpse rose from the ground. Any adrenalin she had now fled and drained into the rest of the fear. She gripped the sidearm and fired as many times as she could, but to no avail. The bullets passed harmlessly through him.

Vlad raised his hand, the bones still exposed as more muscles wrapped around it. "You could still make an excellent haunting."

The flesh on his face had not yet fully formed, exposing the literal inner workings of Vlad's demented mind. He stuttered— every step shattered the space between them and the protective facade that it held— closer and closer as Izzy stood frozen in shock. Plasma formed around his hand illuminating his lack of features even more.

Little, aged scars that had been forgotten to the naked eye, reappeared in the haunting light of his plasma glow. With every step that he took, little, horrid things about his skin became more apparent: like the droplets of blood that seemed to be matted long ago into his skin that was slowly coming back into place over his limbs.

"Please, feel free to fight and scream as you want. It will only end up making me stronger in the end."

He was now a hair breath away from her. His icy breath unwantedly mingling with hers. The only thing separating them and providing her with some protection was that of the counter that she stood behind. But even with the that between them, she was still in arms reach— fear being the only thing that kept her from moving.

His flame tipped fingertips burned as he slowly guided them down Izzy's cheek, leaving a scorching red mark in its wake. "How tragic would it be, for those beautiful children of yours to become orphans just moments before they become corpses?"

Izzy fought as hard as she could, but the power Vlad had over her did not allow her to move. He reeled his hand back, ready to impale her soft skin. "I hope you missed your mother, Elizabeth."

The hum of something electric filled the room and in an instant, Vlad was sent flying through the back wall of the diner.

"Walk away from that, _creep!"_

Standing in the doorway was Valerie in a brand new metal lined suit. Scarlet red colored the collarbone all down to the length of her arms, while black filled the torso and bottoms. It fit rather well. "Sorry I'm late, my flight was delayed."

The fear that had invaded her slowly drained as hope began to take its place. "Val, the kids!"

However, before she could run to the back to make sure Jenny and the two kids were alright, Vlad began to pick himself off the ground behind the diner.

Luckily, being quick on her feet, Valerie phased through the remains of the diner wall; making it just in time before Vlad could even move a foot for the frightened kids and Jenny.

Looking up Vlad saw her amazing feat of engineering. "I see you too have become one of us, my dear Valerie. Or have you merely improved upon the suit I gave you so long ago?"

Unclipping her gun, she posied it straight between his eyes as she growled out, "The only thing you gave me was a migraine and just so you know, to scum like you, the name is The Scarlet Huntress now."

She picked Vlad up under the arms before he could fully regain his bearings— out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of the kids tucked safely behind Jenny— dragging him to the main dining area. She smiled as she saw Izzy quickly lock the front door.

After re-entering the diner, she brought Vlad up to face eye to eye.

"Five years traveling through timeline, after timeline."

Bringing her hand back a bit to add some force, she smashed his jaw with her left hand, sending him flying through the air and crashing on the floor on the other side of the room. She smiled at the sight of him laying in pain.

"Gathering the best each world had to offer to take you down when you came back."

Skipping over to him, she gathered him in her hands, and collided her right hand with his eye, the blunt of the sheer force causing him to smash into a table nearby, kicking up dust as it gave in to his weight.

"While everyone else lived their lives as though you were never here to begin with."

Picking him up by the grainy bone of his neck, she quickly gripped his shoulders to bring him face to face, she swiftly brought her knee up to bring a powerful kick to his gut.

"But not us."

Reeling her arms back, Valerie curved her arms underneath to meet his chin, sending him to the roof, but not enough through it. He landed flat on his front.

"You're just a blemish to this world."

Pulling back her arm, Valerie released all of her pent of energy that she had built up by just thinking of him and let her fist fly forward to deliver another harsh blow to his gut.

"You've taken so much, from so many!"

Throwing him into the air, and before he could touch the ground, balancing on her left leg, she swiftly her other leg up and to his chest, sending him straight on his back.

"Today's the day you answer for them all, Vlad!"

She went for one final punch to Vlad's disgusting face but was caught mid-punch as Vlad rose to his feet. "And all of it added to nothing in the end. _Just like you!"_

Vlad twisted her arm disconnecting bones and rearranged them into unnatural ways. "You, with your little crush on Danny. Do you know how easy it was to manipulate you?! You are nothing and will never be anything of value in the eyes of this world. You should have just stayed in the background where you belong!"

He tossed her through the hole in the wall, sending her back in the alleyway as if she weighed nothing more than a rag doll. Vlad smirked as she hit the asphalt. But the smile didn't last long as the huntress tried to stumble to her feet.

Seeing her trying to move, Vlad quickly fled to Valarie, and pressed her against the ground as she tried to activate her phasing. "Nice try, but you are only manipulating nature! But I have some news: I have become its _master!"_

Valerie's helmet activated, wrapping around her head. "Master this, _ghost!"_

With her free hand, she pressed a device on her wrist. Electricity surged through the alley they were in as an orb of blue light surrounded them blinding Jenny and the kids as they looked from a distance. The ball of light began to flicker as it exploded into millions of tiny light spores.

Izzy could only watch on in horror as the light dissipates into nothing.

 _"Valerie!"_

* * *

"Dad?"

Danny looked to the door for just a moment to see his daughter peeking through the crack, worry laced in her almost dead baby blues. She really needed sleep."It's open, honey."

Danielle walked carefully when entering, keeping her strides small, as to not spoke the halfa and sat gently next to her Dad. "What you did Dad, it wasn't your fault. Anyone of us would have reacted the same way. Just minutes before I told you how important it was that I had stayed. That Vlad needed to be stopped so that no other innocent lives would be endangered. We both wanted Vlad's scheme to end."

Sighing, he ran a hand through his raven hair. "I know. It's just… he hurt you and your grandpa. If we don't stop him, he'll only hurt more and more people to get what he wants. But I've never taken a life before and when I was so obsessed with stopping Dan back in the day, I came so close to crossing that line, but you and your Mom stopped me before I could reach it. I'm so glad that she did."

He looked to the young woman who had grown up so fast in the short eight years that he had her. "But when I saw your grandpa lying on the ground, I knew that this would never end until he was on the ground. Only afterwards, I still felt it. The feeling of holding someone's life in your hands and the unbearable power of the choice of taking a life for the sake of so many others or sparing a life that does not deserve to be saved."

You told us that when you were in his mind, you saw him as a child. Young and innocent. When those things came after you it was that same child that tried to protect you. That same child's life was in my hands and I didn't hesitate for a moment when I saw Dad on that floor."

Danielle offered a tender smile. "Dad, that child may be a part of Vlad deep down, but his actions must be stopped. No one is asking you to take his life, that's just a burden that you don't need to have. But please, know that just because a person is redeemable, doesn't mean they can always be redeemed or that they even want to be."

"You've been hanging around with Jazz more, haven't you?"

She gave a nonchalant shrug, the edges of her smile moving further up on her face, "Dan sometimes like's to take me to his sessions."

He just stared at his daughter. This young woman that had become a big part of his life in just under a decade. The responsibilities of raising a child just two years younger at sixteen was not in any means easy. But it was definitely worth it. And while at times he laid awake at night, wondering if he and Sam had done right by her, all the doubts melted away at her words.

He gathered her into his arms, pressing a small kiss to her hairline. "I tried to teach you so much in the little time I knew you. You were this beautiful surprise that I just got when Sam and me were still growing. Your Mom and I did the best we could through the years, but we could never had guessed how amazing you'd turn out to be. We're so proud of you, Danielle."

* * *

 **Touching ending :,). But the question is, where are Valerie and Vlad? Not dead of course, but what did Valerie activate and how will they get back? How will they be when they do return? Poor Danny tho. Why do I put him in so much pain with endangering people's lives? Ah, well. Let's find out what happens next time! Love you guys! Please read and review and let me know what you think. It really helps out with giving me the motivation to write faster. Lol. See you next time!**


	10. Chapter 10: Whispers In The Wind

**Ch.10! I hope you guys enjoy! Love ya guys!**

* * *

Danny stood at the cherrywood podium, with hands clasped tightly around the wooden stand, to the point where his knuckles broken through the thin fibers of his gloved hands. And now, surrounded with every major news team in the country— camera flashes exploded in front of him, blinding his sight as question after question was screamed at him— Danny had to fight the vomit that wanted to spew all over the people below.

Well, maybe it'd make them leave at this point.

"Mr. Phantom, is it true that you were the cause of the explosion?"

Danny took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and his mind to the buzz of the press trying to get their questions heard. "Yes, it's true."

That got them going even more. As the click of the camera's somehow seemed to speed up, Danny tried his best to keep his composure, keeping his back taunt and feet planted to the granite that made up the ground.

But even with the deep, even breaths were doing little to sustain his chaotic nerves that were bouncing from bone to bone, muscle to muscle, from ligament to ligament in his body, tearing through his system like an unwanted bug.

With a recording device raised towards Danny, a reporter asked, "When taking this action, had you considered the other people in the building besides Vlad Plasmius?"

Breath in, breath out. Eyes close, open. Repeat. "No. I didn't."

Another person fished their way through the news-hungry crowd. There seemed to be no end to the amount, or determination of these reporters. "What makes you think you have the right to endanger innocent lives, just for the sake of your grudge match with Mr. Master?"

His baby blues eyes snapped to the person. "This isn't a grudge match. He's hurting people, innocent people! It's all a sick game to him. It's chess. And guess what? We're just his pawns."

Danielle put a hand on her father's shoulder and stepped up to the podium, reassuring him that she and everyone was there. "Listen, my dads' done so much for this world. We have every right as much as police officers, to stop the things that ordinary people can't. We're trained to do this before we could even be trusted to hold an ecto-rifle. My dads' has been doin' this longer than anyone else."

Danny's shoulders visibly relaxed under her words. "But despite being half ghost, he's also half human. Humans aren't perfect. We make mistakes and we try to use our best judgment to do what's right, but sometimes things just don't work out. He's saved every one of you time and time again. So, until they find evidence of anyone actually dead, I think this conferences' over."

As they turned their back, intending to slip back behind the doors of the mayor's office, someone called out one last time, "Ms. Phantom, before you go. Weren't you a creation of Vlad's? How can we be sure these are not his words rather than ones we can really trust?"

Danielle and Danny looked at the reporter with disgust— with Danny about to lay it into the person for the accusation against his daughter— but before they could say anything the reporters all seemed distressed as their equipment shut down along with nearly every electronic device in the town.

Far off in the distance, the two halfas could see a ball of green energy expanding through the town. However, as it touched the world in its path, it blinked out of existence. Nothing happened. It was as if nothing happened.

And then, all the lights in town started turning off. One building, street lights, anything with power one after another; almost like a domino effect.

Clicking his earpiece Danny tried to connect to his sister."Jazz, what was that, and where did that come from? What's going on with the lights?" Danny pressed the com unit again. "Jazz! Are you there?"

Danny transformed and looked to Danielle as the two flew off leaving the press behind.

* * *

As they reached the epicenter, they saw The Rusty Ghost, and upon seeing a hole in the wall, ran straight for Jenny and Izzy, who stood just feet in front of the building, holding JJ and Kath.

Upon seeing the destroyed wall, Danielle's eyes snapped to Izzy. "What happened?"

Izzy looked up with tears drowning her eyes. "Vlad survived from the fire, Val saved us but in doing so, she sacrificed herself."

Shock hit Danielle like a truck, almost falling on her back until she almost hit the ground as the world around her began to sway just underneath. She would have, had it not been for her dad.

Not Valarie.

She wasn't gone, she couldn't be. It just wasn't possible.

Izzy continued on, eyes watching Danielle. "She created this orb and obliterated both her and Vlad in the process."

As they stood there looking outside to the spot Val was fighting Vad the lights in the restaurant began to flicker back on. Soon, the city followed suit and one after another, the whole city was lightened up with power.

"Danny! Do you hear me, Danny?"

Danny flinched as his ear device came back to life and Jazz's voice screamed in his ear. "Jazz!?"

"Yeah, seems like the coms are back up."

"Jazz... Val is gone."

"Well yeah, she's' been in Paris for the past couple of weeks, helping with Tucker's company while her dad, stepmom, and brother are in Hawaii."

He sighed, wetness damping his eyes. "No, Jazz. Val's dead."

"Danny, there's something else."

Danny looked at Izzy as she walked up to him, horror in her eyes. "I shot him dead in the forehead. He didn't phase, he didn't catch it. His brains splattered on my walls. It took him a moment's before he got back up and when he did, he talked about when I died 5 years ago and how it would make a great haunting."

Danielle's quick intake of breath was lost to Izzy as she continued. "I don't know how the hell that monster knows that or how he survived a shot through the head, but if I had to bet, we haven't seen the last of him."

Jazz's voice broke through again. "Danny, Danielle, I need you to gather everyone. I might have some news."

* * *

Jazz sat next to Roy on the couch, a soft hand resided on the technologist's knee. "Honey, we need to talk. When Danny told you to activate the Belts I know you were looking out for him and if I were in your position I might have done the same thing. You love us and would do anything to protect us, but at the same time, we need to trust each other. You've been so helpful to everyone on this team and you do an amazing job at it."

The guilt that laid in his eyes swallowed him whole, and Jazz felt bad, because she understood how it was when you messed up the first time with ghost fighting.

"They're just sometimes where tough calls have to be made and while we're at headquarters, if one of our field members tells us there's no other way, unless we have the time to prove otherwise, we have to put our faith in them... Even if it means that they might not walk away from a situation."

He nodded, his lips turning down in sadness as his tongue skimmed the length of his bottom lip."I know. I just froze. It won't happen again."

Jazz smiled, patting her fiance's knee."Thanks for understanding, sweetie."

* * *

Inside the normally dark lab, Jazz sat in her chair with the monitor behind her washing the walls in front of her white. She was dressed in her suit, as to be able to connect to her chair and had had the whole range of the town just in front of her.

Her family stood in a circle, looking behind Jazz as though the screen in front of them were going to bring back the dead.

Without looking back to her family, Jazz said, "Right now, it's just a hypothesis but over the years, Val's called me from time to time, asking for help with her equations and until now, I couldn't figure out what she was working on. But when Izzy's security cameras came back on, I saw Valerie phase through the wall of the diner. It hit me. She's has been using this time to advance her tech to that of otherworldly possibilities."

Everyone held their breath at the implications of what she was saying.

She typed rapidly against her keyboard, eyes trained on the keys she pressed. "I also did a scan of the area with our satellite, and it showed a strange residue that appeared after the explosion."

Danny shrugged, eyes still on the overly large monitors. "Well yeah, it's an explosion. There's gotta be something left behind."

Jazz's words were on autopilot at this point as her fingers brushed along keys. "Yeah, but those specifics, things like debris and other thing left by a normal explosion were not present. This led me to believe that Val teleported herself and Vlad."

"You're right, Jazz!" Izzy shouted, her entire being started to bounce with excitement. "When Val was fighting Vlad, she was saying how all this time she was using tech from all the multiverse. That's how she held off Vlad for as long as she did. If she could get to other earth's without Lilith's help, then teleportation must be apart of that step."

Jazz smile was filled with hope as she typed in the algorithm.

She threw her arms up in triumph as the screen confirmed her theory. "Yes, just as I thought. If you take into account all the variables you can see that the area around the dinner has a mass that shifted after the explosion. By how much, you might ask. By approximately the mass of two grown adults! Meaning that was no explosion! She teleported them."

Danny looked on at the screen as if it was written in morse code. "Okay, so where did they go to?"

Jazz's mood instantly dropped. "That's the only problem... She didn't give them a destination."

"What does that mean?"

Jazz sunk back in her chair, fingers laced together as she contemplated the situation as a whole. This was in no way ideal. "It means that right now she and Vlad are atoms floating in the wind waiting to be assembled."

Danny's voice began to rise slightly at the hopelessness of his sister. "Well, we gotta bring her back. If she had a way to teleport, I know she would have a way to bring herself back in case something like this ever happened."

Jazz sighed as she moved from her chair, unplugging her suit from all of the cords that connected her from it. "You're right. But what if she doesn't want that."

Sam continued before Danny could respond, a violet fire raging in her eyes. "What the hell do you mean she might not want that!?"

"I mean, that when she was facing off against Vlad she said that she and her family had been working nonstop for the last 5 years to make sure that when he came back she could stop him. What if this wasn't a last-ditch effort. What if this was her end game?"

That made Sam shrink back, her eyes glossed over with worry and a hint of fear. "You mean, she did this on purpose? Why?"

Jazz's voice never faltered as she explained her theory. "The same reason she tried to help Dan during his emo phase. She has people, just like we do, which she would do anything to keep safe. She has always gone a step further so it wouldn't exactly be out of character."

A chirp came through their suits to the tune of the Danny Phantom theme— which Tucker had programmed into the com's, against everyone's protest.

Danny pressed his chest to activate the speaker. "Fenton family here."

A southern twanged voice reached their ears. "This is officer Bandy of the Amity Police Department. We have a member of Master's goons. We were wondering if you could send someone over to foresee the interrogation and to maybe clarify some of the ghost mubo jumbo."

Danielle stepped forward. "I'll do it. Maybe I could get inside his head if he doesn't talk willingly."

Sam sighed, a protest just on the edge if her lips before Danielle cut her off. "Mom, I can do it."

Sam studied her daughter for a few moments before she reluctantly agreed, pulling her into a tight hug. "M'kay. Just make sure you're safe, okay?"

"Oh, Mom. You should know by now to worry more about who I'm interrogating."

* * *

"Come on, officer. I was just playing dress up. What's the harm in that? I mean, you let underage kids do it and they're labeled as heroes."

The officer balled his fingers into a fist, bracing his fist on the metal table as files of evidence of the guilty person laid spread out on the metal table."You're not a hero and you know it. You can play coy all you want, but you don't just get to the belly of the beast without having to be there for a long time so just do us both a favor and tell us what he is up to."

The one light that hung from the ceiling between them hardly gave any light, but it was enough to see the guy's light brown maintained hair— which was cut neat, surprisingly to the officer—his dimmed black eyes seemed to scream at the officer to let him go no matter how composed he was. His soft baby face held him younger than he actually was, even the crooked nose did little to age him.

The guy let out a low chuckle as he relaxed in his seat, kicked his feet up to the table—crossing them at the ankle— and threw his hands behind his head as if he was making himself at home in the interrogation room. "Nah, not for you at least. You're too old and saggy. Maybe if you bring a nice broad in here I would sing her a pretty song but for you. Well, you can just kiss the fattest part of my ass."

Without warning, Danielle phased through the two-way mirror. Causing the guy to straighten immediately in his chair as she drew his attention to her. "Now, that's what I'm talkin' about! Long snow-white hair, slim figure, and an ass that could-"

Danielle placed her fingers on his temples, silencing him instantly, which only worked for a few minutes, but it still helped from his crude behavior. Now that he had been silenced, she floated back the other side of the table. "Now that I have the floor, I have some questions for you."

He eyed her hungrily, a lion looking at his prey, Only if he understood that was on the low part of the food chain when compared to her. "Anything you want, hot stuff."

Laying her hip against the table and crossing her arms over her chest, Danielle said, "I'm already taken," his face didn't drop at that, a challenge now lingered in his eyes instead. "Now, about your employer, what does he have planned?"

His smirk that played on his lips widened. "Well Ms. Lady, he has a really good insurance package for a psychopath. But I think you meant his larger plan. Well, if I told you, that'd spoil all the fun. But I'll tell you this, sweetie. Those missing people in your town aren't the only ones. Their just the only ones people care about. And I wouldn't just watch out for the gang members from Chicago. This is so much more than you think."

Her nose scrunched in anger at his words. Did Vlad have more followers than they thought? And where they outside of the Chicago gang? Who was all involved in this? "How many more are there? Hundreds?"

He threw his head back, laughing in almost a delighted tone. "Hundreds? You're funny. Big ol' Daddy didn't tell me you were funny." She growled at the implications of being called Vlad's daughter, "No sweet cheeks, it ain't hundreds, hell it ain't even just Amity or Illinois. This business is worldwide, like McDonalds, only you're the meat."

* * *

Jazz was at a complete loss. Any idea that quickly bled though was easily washed away another problem with the idea. "What do we do? She did this so that we could be free of Vlad once and for all. Do we just undo her decision and bring them back?"

Maddie— who had found her way down to the basement after visiting Jack in the hospital; after the doctor said that she could return in a few hours for his discharge and return home, they just wanted to do a couple more checks — came up with, "That's if, we can even do that."

Roy stood up from his chair next to Jazz. "Maybe if we got ahold of Mr. Grey we could find a reversal device so that we could... we could maybe..." As Roy stumbled with his words, he hit the ground, hard.

"Baby, Roy!"

Jazz rushed over to him, kneeling down as she grabbed his head to prevent any more injuries to his skull. Thankfully as she held him, Jazz realized he hadn't lost full consciousness.

His voice was shaky, but still audible as he tried to hold himself. "It's okay... I think I'm just having a low. I don't know how though, I didn't turn my pump off."

With her brother's help, the two get Roy to his feet, keeping him steady once he had some footing. "Roy, the power surge. It must've taken out your insulin pump and it never turned back on. Quickly Mom, get him some orange slices!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Maddie climbed the stairs and disappeared into the kitchen and a second later, she came back down with a bowl of fruit. "I wasn't sure which one to get so I grabbed them all."

Roy grabbed for a peeled orange and ate the entire thing within minutes, his skin still paled, eyes more sunken in and sweated accumulating around his forehead..

Jazz helped Roy as they made their way back to his chair, setting him down slowly and with care."I have'ta start carrying glucose tablets in my purse for you, mister."

His face visibly relaxed as he settled into his seat. "Thanks you two, it'll take me awhile to get better."

"I'm just glad we caught it when we did. I don't want to lose you. I can't imagine my life without you."

Danny looked at Jazz with a heavy heart. "I didn't even think of that. How are we going to break the news about Valarie to her family."

Sam looked to Danny and Jazz, eye big with sadness at what was running through her mind as she breathed out, "Her brother's only six. I can't imagine how he's gonna take it."

Jazz looked to her control panel. "No. I know she made her choice, but if everyone sacrifices themselves than who'll be left to stop whatever comes after Vlad. Bad guys won't stop after Vlad; they always come because they always do. "

Roy spoke up from his spot, sarcasm laced with his words, a challenge playing on his eyebrows. "I thought you told me before that we have to trust our team and respect the choices they made."

Jazz turned to Roy with a tear-filled smile. "Well, you butt, I guess you 'really made an impact on me."

Jazz typed in the address to video chat Mr. Grey. "Ah, Jazz. It's nice to see you. Has Valerie made it there safe?"

Wanting to avoid the situation of what his daughter was in, Jazz instead asked one of her own, keeping it short. "Mr. Grey, I'm sorry for the shortness right now I'll have Valerie explain later, but right now I need you to tell me whether her teleporter has a remote emergency reverse?"

Confusion blinked in his eyes, but still answered. "Yes, we always planned ahead in case she was sent somewhere particularly unpleasant. Why? Is something wrong?"

Again, she dodged the question. "Mr. Grey, we need you to activate it."

The aged man began typing away on his computers, eyes glued to his screens."Sure, but it needs a destination. I modeled the reverse to go to the nearest ghost portal. Seeing as there aren't that many around the world, she should come to you."

"Thank you, Mr. Grey, Now in about three minutes I want you to activate it, okay?"

"Yes."

Jazz shut off the audio on the feed, and looked to her brothers. "Danny, Dan! You two go ghost and get ready to use all the energy you have to blast at that portal. Izzy, Sam, bazookas! Mom, get ready to turn on the portal! If we bring back Val, we bring back Vlad! Now get ready!"

Everyone did as instructed and fled into position.

Jazz's fingers became nothing more than a blur as she typed away. "Now, Mr. Grey!"

Without hesitation, Valerie's Dad flipped the switch.

Within moments the two figures began to reshape in the inactive ghost portal. They were both fully formed and exhausted as the dropped to their knees. But no one could deny the relief at the sight of seeing Valerie safe and alive.

Dashing into the portal before Vlad could become coherent again, Jazz pulled Valerie from the blast radius that the portal would cause.

"Everyone, now!"

Maddie activated the ghost portal behind Vlad as Danny and Dan blasted Vlad with their full power. Sam and shot Vlad again and again. All this effort and it was doing nothing to the withered man. He began to walk closer to the group as the beams of plasma continued to make contact with every step, but continued to do nothing to him as he clawed his way out of the portal. As he neared the huntress, he hissed out in a raspy voice, "Maddie!"

Out of nowhere, a hand pushed the two halfas safely out of the way as a large figure with an eyepatch stepped forward. "Stay away from my wife!"

With that said, Jack Fenton punched Vlad single-handedly into the ghost portal. He looked to his wife, screaming, "Now, Maddie!"

She flipped the switch, banishing Vlad from their presence.

Maddie hugged Jack as tightly as she could follow by Dan and Danny. "I thought I was supposed to pick you up in a few hours."

Jack shrugged, a bright smile lit up his face. "Guess they were ready for me to come home earlier than expected."

Without notice, Valerie quickly awoke and pushed Jazz off her seat."What the hell did you do?"

Jazz remained calm as she swiftly got to her feet. "We saved you!"

Valerie seethed with anger. " _I did what I had to_! I did what any one of us would for the safety of the people we love and the people of this world. What gives you the damn right to take that choice away from me! He was gone, damn it! He was dust in the wind and you brought him back!?"

Izzy stood in front of Valery, putting herself as a shield between the two woman. " _No_ , we brought you _back!"_ Izzy took a deep breath, bring herself back down. "We brought you back because they're people that love you. When I was a kid, my mother died on an ordinary day, on an ordinary road, with adoption papers in hand for what was going to be my sister."

Izzy calmed the volume of her words, but her voice still remained stern. "Now, every year that day is the hardest day of the year. Every time I'm on that road, I hear her last words. Do you know what that's like to someone that young? To lose someone so close to you. You have a family-"

 _"I was doing it for them! I have a responsibility!"_

The sound of footsteps could be heard over the video chat.

A soft voice reached out from the speakers. "Sissy? Sissy, are you okay?"

Valarie froze upon hearing her little brother's voice. Every bone in her body screamed to run at the voice, because at the back of her mind, something told her she knew what she had done was wrong, but she could push it away if she shut the reason out.

But now, that reason was right there.

Wanting to know the answers.

Izzy smiled pointed to the screen where her brother's face was five times the size as normal. Curly dark charcoal hair, big brown eyes that questioned everything and seemed to take up his whole face, small little lips. A bunny held tightly in his arms. He was Valerie's whole heart.

Izzy's shoulder bumped against Valerie's as she skipped past her. "Better go say hi to your responsibility."

The huntress walked over to the monitor, tears in her eyes. "Hi, bean."

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Sissy, why're you crying?"

She hastily wiped the tears that had started to unknowingly flow. "I'm not, sissy doesn't cry remember. Sissy's just allergic to silly hair on goofy beans."

His lower lip went out in a small pout as he clutched the rabbit to his chest. "My hairs not goofy."

She gave a warm smile to her little brother. "It's always goofy to me. Now, do me a favor and go tell Daddy that sissy loves you both okay and I'll be home soon."

"Okay. I love you, sissy!"

Tears were now fully flowing down her face, uncaring of the audience around. "I love you too, bean."

The computer monitor blinked off as Valerie hit the floor, hands grabbing at her long curly hair that she had for years now. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know what to do. I don't know what to do."

Her eyes closed she felt Jazz's arms wrapped around her, followed by the rest of the Fenton family.

Jazz smiled. It's okay, Val. Whatever we do, we do it together."

* * *

 **Poor Valerie. So, what's the next step, now that they know that Vlad's followers aren't just in Chicago? Are there any in Amity? How safe is Team Phantom really? Will Danny be accused further for any deaths that may have come from the explosion? Will people now think Danielle is in on Vlad's plan?**

 **Will Tucker find out about the guy flirting with Danielle and punch him? XD**

 **Sorry, anyway. I hope you enjoyed. Please read and review.**


	11. Chapter 11: Duet

**Chapter 11! You kinda get to see Danielle though Jazz's eyes, and I'm really excited about it. Hope you enjoy! Oh, and Invader Jonny, if you thought the last chapter was emotionally draining, you ain't seen nothing yet ;) Buckle up for the ride.**

* * *

"My name's Jazz Fenton, age 26, and I fight ghosts. Well, to be specific, I track ghost as of right now. I do on occasion, still fight them, but I leave that to the rest of the family. It's a strange life but a good one.

"Standing next to me during all of it is my fiance, Roy. He's kind of a clutz, but in a lovable way. He helps with all our families inventions and has been vital in the last 5 years. Without him, we wouldn't have even half of the things we do now.

"It's really been a long time since the days where it was just a four-person team fighting these spectators. Things were really going great, it was like we had this routine down to a science, then Vlad came down from the sky and from that moment on things were in overdrive for us.

"Crazy things have been happening since. It's only been a little over a week since we got Dan back, my brother's alternate timeline duplicate, and honestly, a brother to myself. Then Valarie sacrificed herself and became atoms with Vlad so that he wouldn't continue on with his plans, to which we're still lost on for the most part. But we got her back; along with him, but we'll deal. We always do.

"But yeah, that's normal for us.

"But, even with him back, things have never been this crazy. You see, with Vlad back we now have the task of finding him and having to stop whatever evil plot he has developed in the past 8 years. But that's not all. From what Danielle could find out, he has followers all over the world who are supporting him and funding his madness.

If that wasn't bad enough, now that he is back it seems all the small time ghost who we had stopped are taking advantage of the chaos Vlad has brought with him and are running amuck all over. They're causing so much panic that we haven't had a lot of time to look for Vlad or any of his goons."

"Honey? What are you doing?"

Jazz jolted from her spot in her chair, swiveled around and was met with a questioning look of her fiance as he stood just feet away from her. With her voice kept quiet, she spoke, "Writing…. in my journal."

His eyes narrowed as his brows shot up, a hint of playfulness pulled at his lips as they took the form of a smirk. "But, you were just narrating."

"It's an audio journal." She quickly corrected and clicked her recording and placed it between the cushion of her seat and the armrest.

Folding his arms together, shifted his weight back and forth between his left and right leg as his lips grew on his face, his tongue swiftly skimmed the length of his mouth. He obviously had her. "How long have you been-"

"Three weeks."

Jazz scowled as he pressed his lips thinly together in an obvious way to suppress any laughter that wanted to pass. "Ah... Okay." He slowly backed away, fingers pointing up the stairs as his means of direction to where he would go. The playfulness in his steps that he took was as if a victim slowly getting away from their to-be-murderer. "I'm, just going to get some lunch so…"

In a meek voice, Jazz added, "Can I get some chicken nuggets.

As Roy slowed his steps, he refused to drop the smirk. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."

Jazz rolled her eyes, but raised her voice nevertheless at his childish behavior. "Please, get me some chicken nuggets. _With honey mustard!_ " She yelled the last part as he bolted for the stairs as he heard her order.

Jazz waited for a moment, cranked her neck to make sure he wasn't hidden behind a wall, then continued with her journal. "We're not sure how much longer this will go on for, but so long as we hold on to hope and stand up to this unrelenting darkness, we can move forward and become stronger as a whole."

Roy could be heard laughing just outside the door of the kitchen entryway. "You're so dramatic!"

 _"Just get me the nuggets, you butt!"_

Once she could hear the door that leads outside was shut, Jazz clicked a button on her phone ending the journal entry. "Now, what do we have going on around town?"

Looking at the monitor, Jazz saw what looked to be an orange spec appear above the Nasty Burger. "Dang it, why can't this crap ever happen above a Taco Bell?"

Jazz pressed her com piece. "Dannielle, you're closest. We have another portal opening above the Nasty Burger. Go see who it is. Also, make sure if you see Uncle Roy, that he actually _remembers_ my honey mustard this time."

For the most part, it reminded her of when they were still in high school. How all the ghost were still trying to fight the halfa and one after another, all of them tried and one after another, all of them failed. Back then things were different. People didn't die in those feuds.

The only time that it came close to anyone being killed— her family or otherwise— was when Dan first visit, and now he was a member of the family. Danny had that effect on people. Even Skull-Tech had a daytime job on the agreement that he got one day a year to hunt Danny, but they both knew it was just for fun now.

But this was different. Everything had been leading up to this. Everything was just a part of one big chess game and they were the pawns. Danny was especially upset by this but it didn't bother Jazz in the slightest. Danny was always a go with the flow kind of kid when he was growing up, the same went for Sam.

Jazz thought this might be one of the reasons Danielle turned out as well as she did with her circumstances. She had the freedom to choose and after what she went through at the start of her life she really needed that. Jazz, however, was not her brother. Every moment of her adolescent life, had been planned out to the tiniest detail and if something went wrong, it would drive her crazy until she could fix it.

When Jazz finally moved out and made it to college, she soon found out that the world she had prepared for was a lot more chaotic and random than what she could have ever planned. She had just about lost it when she bumped into this scrawny ginger fella who was carrying a lot of books. She had been so nervous and out of it in general, but when he helped her up, it seemed to calm her.

He had smiled and told her that he used to be the same way. He said that life is a string of unpredictable mayhem and the best you can do was, "hope for the best and work with the rest." While very cheesy, that was just what Jazz did. She had been so focused on planning her life that she didn't realize she wasn't enjoying it.

It took a while to get used to, but Jazz had adjusted well to the new lifestyle and soon, the two high school valedictorian's hit it off and not long after that, the sparks flew. Quite literally, as the two of them worked non stop inventing things and rising to the top of their class. After a rather large explosion due to sleep depravity, the two moved to Amity where they have been busy upgrading Team Phantom with the latest and greatest tech imaginable.

When even Tucker complimented them on their tech, they knew they were doing something right. All this brought a smile to her face and built up her confidence even more. So, if this really was one giant chess game, then whatever force was on her side knew darn well how valuable her pieces were.

"Aunt Jazz!"

"What's up, Fighting Pomeranian!?"

"We have Ember at the Nasty Burger, wait... What the heck did you just call me?"

"The Fighting Pomeranian, it's your code name."

"Why a pomeranian?!"

"Because everyone thinks 's there just the most adorable thing until they get angry and then they become this vicious beast tearing up anything that gets in their way."

"You know what... I like it."

That was Danielle for you. She was always such a surprise to Jazz from the moment she crashed into their lives. No one expected this little girl to have such an impact on their family. While Jazz had learned to change upon entering the real world, the real world was thrust upon Danny and Sam in the form of Danielle.

The Danny that Jazz grew up with was always a little reckless and the thought of him one day becoming a parent gave Jazz the shakes.

But that all changed with Danielle.

All of a sudden her little brother had a responsibility that didn't involve punching things. On top of that, this happened just three months into his relationship with Sam after years of them hiding their feelings for each other.

Jazz was absolutely amazed at the effect that Danielle had on those two and how they're relationship grew because of it. Danielle herself was probably the most amazing thing Jazz had seen in her life. This little girl created by the evilest man on the planet finds out she is a failed experiment, has parents only two years older than herself, and yet, she has become something more than she was ever intended to be.

She has pushed past every obstacle in her way and while she does have some scars on her, she never lets it stop her from living.

That's why it's been so hard for Jazz, seeing Danielle the way she was. From a therapist standpoint, it did make sense that after so many years of growth in absence of her abuser, that she would feel this way when confronted head-on. But even with her degrees, it didn't make it any easier to see her niece feel so helpless. They came from a strong stock, but nothing can prepare you for these kinds of things.

However, no matter how much Jazz hated to admit it, she saw the questioning in Danielle's eyes. She was at that age where she was finding out who she was, a young woman now stood where a little girl used to. And that entailed what she wanted.

Jazz wasn't stupid, far from it. Her niece was figuring out in her head on whether she wanted to go down the road Danny had, or find her own. Jazz hoped she would find her way one day. It was a hard choice, and a harder world out there, and the territory that came with it was brutal. And what she endured her first couple of years, Jazz knew Danielle deserved a lifetime of peace with whatever she desired to do in life and how she'd shape her own way.

Jazz's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock coming from the door. "It's open!" Jazz yelled.

Slowly opening the door, Izzy popped her head in. "Hey, Izz. How's it going? Dan still giving you a hard time on bed rest?"

She rolled her eyes, keeping to standing awkwardly as there wasn't a seat nearby."Yeah. You saw how he got out of bed and stayed on the couch for Danielle, that man sure is stubborn. But whatever that creep did, it messed with his ghost powers, that's for sure. He's just now starting to heal like he should but the fact that his powers took this long to come back in. full scares the death out of me."

Jazz hummed in agreement edging to the end of the seat, her elbow resting on her knees and hand supporting chin. "Whatever that fruitloop 's up to it really isn't good. I'm just glad we got to him in time. Anyway, I assume with the way things are right now you didn't stop by just to chat about boys."

"Well yes and no. I've had this thought for a long time and it's really been eating at me."

"And that thought would be?"

Izzy dug her hands into her pockets as she pivoted on the balls of her feet. "How old do you think Danielle really is?"

Letting her arms fall back on her lap, Jazz straightened at the question. "What do you mean? She's 22, well technically 12, but she's no child."

Izzy's teeth subconsciously pulled at the bottom of her lip. "That's what I'm getting at. Even in sci-fi, people don't just have 12-year-old bodies like Danielle had overnight. It takes time for cells to divide into that large of an organism, even with speeding up the process."

Jazz's eyebrows shot up at Izzy's words. "You're not saying there's something sinister with Danielle, are you?"

She quickly shut down the idea. "Gosh no! The girl is a saint with the mouth of a sailor. No, I'm thinking of something far worse. In order for her to be the way she was when Danny and her first met ten years ago, she had to have time to develop."

Giving a boneless shrug, Jazz's eyes were splashed with a hint of weariness. "Yeah, I see what you mean, but he's a crazy dude with advanced tech. He must've somehow found a way to advance her faster, along with her body being assembled quickly."

"Still, what if she's been around— at least was being made— longer than we thought. What if she existed and was being tortured by Vlad before the Nasty Burger explosion?"

"Oh my gosh..."

"Yeah."

"That's awful."

Izzy moved closer, steps heavy with guilt. "When Dan merged and became his purely dark self, he left Vlad a broken man. He stopped all of his research seeing as he had no more powers."

"So, there was a chance that if that never happened, that if Vlad still decided to continue, that there might have been a Danielle from your timeline as well."

Izzy inhaled, slowing her words. "Yeah. But that's not the thought that bothers me. Vlad had everything he needed and who's to say he didn't just wait for Danielle to be the proper age to stand a chance against Danny. If we had investigated, maybe if we took him more seriously, she could have had a chance. Danielle could've been happier, and she would've have turned out completely different, and not haunted by an abused past. We could've found her sooner."

Izzy looked at Jazz with tears in her eyes. "Maybe if she was around when I passed, maybe if he had known that she existed before I died...or even if he had found her right after I was gone and not when Vlad already had his claws into her, maybe Dan wouldn't have gone down that path. Maybe she wouldn't have so many scars as she does. They would've had each other."

Jazz held Izzy in a tight embrace as the tears flowed like floodwater. "Izz, you can't do that to yourself. We can't change what happened and you two now have two beautiful children. Dan has his scars, but when we talk, I can see the progress he's making. You did the best you could and frankly, you're doing amazing."

With her head buried in her sister-in-law's neck, Izzy's voice was small, scared as she spoke. The words trembled with agony. "But if Danielle was around for him, he would've had someone to keep a hold on his humanity. Clockwork almost killed himself to bring back his human half. If she were there-"

Jazz stopped her train of thought. "If she were there and Dan would have stayed human than that timeline would have been solid meaning that everyone Danny loved including you would have stayed dead. He would have Danielle and only Danielle. He would never love again in the way he loved you. He would have her and she would have him. Eventual she would've grown up and taken steps on her own. No matter what, you'd still have a man covered in scars."

Izzy's nodded her head in understanding, she had yet to pull away from the embrace.

Jazz continued, "At least the way things did turn out, he has a gigantic annoying family to distract him from those scars.

* * *

Roy entered the door, carrying two large paper bags. "Hey, sweetie! Guess what? The crowd Ember brought to the Nasty Burger worked up such an appetite during her brainwash concert that when Danielle sent her packing the crowd all bought food there. So, for helping them one of their slowest days this month, they gave us two free meals and all the honey mustard you can dip!"

It took a moment in the dimly lit room for Roy to see Izzy sitting next to Jazz in a chair she had scrounged up from the living room. "You know, what I'm just going to leave these here and let you two have some time."

Jazz smiled, brushing off his almost hasty retreat to give them privacy. "It's okay, Roy."

Izzy tried to give a happy smile, but it fell short of a broken one. "Yeah, besides, we just get to rent her for an hour. You're the one who keeps her sane after we leave."

Jazz laughed. "Oh please. I grew up with Jack Fenton as a Dad. Sane went out the window long ago."

"How do you do all this?"

"You know Izz, I should be asking you that. You're so strong and you keep three children in line all day long."

Izzy tilted her head at the word three that came from Jazz's mouth. "Unless you've been gossiping with Lilith, I'm pretty sure I only have two kids at the moment."

Jazz placed a hand on the younger girls shoulder, giving it a pat with her fingers. "You forget, I grew up with Danny. It doesn't matter what timeline he's from, he's always gonna be a kid at heart."

Roy took the moment to step up and hand Jazz her meal, while saying, "You know, how both of you grew up to be semi-sane individuals is a miracle. There are people with way more mundane lives that turn out to be complete nutters."

Just as Izzy was about to put some of the fries that she stole from Jazz's meal, she lowered the food as a questioning look sprung on her face. "Nutters?"

"He spent a semester in the UK before we met."

Roy rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his own food. "Besides, it's way more fun to say nutters than crazy."

Izzy looked between Jazz and Roy for a moment. "Okay, now I can see how you fit into this family."

* * *

"DANIELLE" PHANTOM:

Subject: 178

Artifical Age: 12

Height: 4'2"

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

Powers: Yes

Days Stable W/O Chamber: 26

Overall Success: Negative

Danielle looked at the 10-year-old piece of paper and crunched it up, throwing it against the wall and leaving it to tumble to the floor and collect dust in a forgotten part of her room. The world's from the newswoman playing over and over in her head.

 _"How do we know we can trust you?"_

Danielle hated the press. Why couldn't they stop? How does one handle them and be okay in the end? How do they not cry behind closed doors where no one can see the pain? It was suffocating at best.

The press didn't understand, they never would. They didn't know the confidence that she showed them over the years was shaky. She wasn't the Danielle that Vlad pictured in his mind— while a monster— knew who she was and had the backbone to carry through.

She wasn't the million other Danielle's that Lilith showed her over the years in the multiverse. _They_ had their lives figured out.

She didn't know who she was exactly at times— she wasn't an abomination, or something horrible. Those thoughts were long gone. She was loved, wanted, and a good person, she had a family. But she felt lost in a sea of who she wanted to become and what she wanted to do with the choices ahead of her.

And it felt like time was racing against to figure out her entire life in five minutes. The news already had asked that long ago: if she planned to follow in her dad's footsteps, Danielle always avoided the question.

And with the news wanting to pin her with Vlad, it only made things more time sensitive to show she wasn't with that monster. "I'm not him! I'm not Vlad! I'm Danielle Fenton. I'm Danielle Fenton! I'm Danielle _Fenton!"_

She sunk to the ground as her fist shook the floor. Her sobbing drowned out the sound of the traffic bustling outside through her opened window. "I'm a Fenton." Danielle slammed her arm against the wall knocking over one of Jazz's old piggy banks she had left after the move. She winced upon hearing the impact.

"Dang it."

Tucker walked in upon hearing the thud. "Pookums, what's wrong?"

Danielle sighed, pushing herself off from the ground. "So many years of people accepting me and cheering for me every time I fight off a ghost and it's undone the moment Vlad shows up."

Tucker wrapped his arm around Danielle, resting his forehead against hers. "Don't weep for the stupid, you'll be crying all day. I know it seems like some people believe that nonsense but it's just because they're scared. You gotta remember: they don't have powers. That's the problem with seeing a titan fly over you every day, it reminds people how small they really are. We do our best to protect them and to give them hope, but it can only go so far.

Fear can bring out the worst in people, but that doesn't mean that they are bad people. It just means they're human."

Danielle shivered in his embrace. "Yeah well, that guy at the police station he was "Bad people." The way he was looking at me the whole time…. I played it off like I owned the room, but I had to. That creep wanted me to... Ugh."

Tucker pulled back, looking her directly in the eyes, "Wait, he what now!? Oh, now I'm gonna head to that station right now and pun-"

She caught his arm before he could make his way out the bedroom door. "And what, get arrested too for beating up an unarmed man. Sweetie, I love where you're coming from, but there's nothing he can do. He's just a creep in a box."

Tucker sighed, clearing his head. "Please, honey. Don't let one negative voice speak for the millions who love you." With that, Tucker took his leave, heading downstairs to get some lunch.

She pressed herself against the wall and pushed herself up. "I can't just keep moping in here. They're people out there right now who need our help and sitting on my ass isn't going to do anything." Danielle transformed and flew out her window. "Alright, Vlad. Let's see if I can find any of your goons."

* * *

Just as she was about halfway done with her citywide sweep, with no luck, and sunset drawing down quickly on the town, she heard the chirping of her com unit.

"Danielle, you're closest. We have another portal opening above the Nasty Burger. Go see who it is. Also, make sure if you see Uncle Roy, that he actually _remembers_ my honey mustard this time."

Danielle made a quick u-turn and made her way to the fast-food haven.

* * *

Upon arrival, the Danielle saw Ember surrounded by a swarm of followers. Amongst the crowd was Roy as he pushed through the madness trying to get Aunt Jazz's beloved nuggets. "That's smart. One person in a hundred not hypnotized by Ember and all she cares about were the people screaming her name. I guess he really is prepared for anything. I don't even have my Fenton phone on me."

Danielle presseed her com unit. "Aunt Jazz!"

The familiar voice of her aunt crackled through."What is it, Fighting Pomeranian!?"

"We have Ember at the Nasty Burger...wait..." The odd phrase hit her like a flying ice cream truck. " What the heck did you just call me?"

"The Fighting Pomeranian, it's your code name."

Danielle froze for a moment, stunned by her aunt's weirdness. "Why a pomeranian?!" Yeah, because the dog breed was the weird part of that name.

"Because everyone thinks 's they're just the most adorable thing until they get angry and then they become this vicious beast tearing up anything that gets in their way."

She was about to object until she remembered the time Tucker was chased for a mile by an angry Pomeranian. "You know what... I like it."

Danielle pressed the D on her chest, ending the conversation. Looking down at Ember she cracked her neck as a smile formed on her face. "Time to take out some misplaced aggression."

Floating to the top of the Nasty burger where Ember and her Haunted chorus were set up Danielle unplugs the sound system. "I'm in a bad mood today, Ember so this is your only warning. Take this show on the road, otherwise, this song is going to turn into a violent duet."

Ember gave Danielle a wink and with a stroke from her guitar, Danielle was thrown from the rooftop stage.

The fire burned in Danielle's eyes as she looked down at the stage. "Fine, you want a show. I'll give you one you'll never forget."

Ember signaled for her band to continue and soon, the band was playing full force as Ember rose to meet Danielle above the Nasty Burger. "Are you sure you want to do this softy? I wouldn't want you to blow up, like Daddy."

Danielle snapped. She ripped the guitar out of Ember's hand and let out a powerful wail as she stuck the cords. The roar of the ghostly guitar and Danielle's wail combined sent Ember flying to a nearby building as she broke free of the soundwaves just in time to catch herself before impact.

It took only a few minutes to collect herself and brush off the bruises and cuts that imprinted into her pale skin from the blow. "Heavy metal... Like your Mom... I can respect that, kid. But let me show what a real player can do."

Ember threw her hand in the air as sharp looking guitar materialized from the blue flames above her head.

The two locked eyes as they raised their axes and flew toward each other colliding in an epic musical showdown as the beat got faster and more intense with each swing.

Sweat fell from their brows, clinging to their skin before pinching off and dropping to the ground below. The two were growing tired of their fight, but neither one giving any ground as the crowd below cheered.

Ember eyed Danielle once more before she broke out in laughter. "You know you're way cooler than your stick in the mud Dad."

Danielle froze mid-strike and looked at her in a confused awe. "What!?"

The guitarist lowered her own weapon. "I'm saying, your Dad would never do this kind of thing. You rock girl. You know what," Ember looked down at her ghoulish band, "wrap it up, boys. The battle of the bands is over with for today."

Danielle looked to Ember, wondering if the teen ghost had gone insane, or if she herself had. Maybe both. "What the heck is going on!"

Ember floated closer, obviously not a threat anymore, but Danielle still stayed wary. "Your mom called and told me you were a little down. She figured a good showdown would brighten your spirits, but considering your dad and grandpa, she didn't expect you actually be any good. She should really take into account that you're her daughter too. Some of those genes had to rub off."

 _Well, thanks Mom_

Ember gave Danielle a quick punch on the arm. "Ya got heart, kid. Don't ever let anyone take that away from you. Take the time to figure yourself out before you listen to what others want from you, ya hear me? You only have one life. Make it for you. Things aren't so black and white all the time."

Saying her goodbye, a ghost portal opened behind Ember as she and her band slipped inside.

Shaking her head, the halfa sighed. "What the hell, Mom. What the hell."

 _"Free nuggets!"_

Danielle took in a deep breath of embarrassment. "He's gonna make a fine Fenton."

* * *

Danielle walked into her Grandparent's house with a blue raspberry slushie in hand. A reward for a job well done... well for surviving the week with her sanity intact. "There's no way aunt Jazz could have known about that. She sucks at keeping secrets from anyone other than Grandma and Grandpa." Danielle pressed her fingers against the sensor unlocking the door to the lab. looking through the slightly cracked door Danielle saw both Jazz and Aunt Izzy talking to one another.

"I should wait 'till their done talking."

She was closing the door when she heard Izzy say something odd. "Vlad had everything he needed and who's to say he didn't just wait for Danielle to be the proper age to stand a chance against Danny. If we had investigated, maybe if we took him more seriously, she could have had a chance."

Danielle's heart skipped a beat upon hearing her name. "What are they talking about?"

Curious, Danielle turned intangible and walked into the room out of sight from her aunt's. She could see Izzy was filled with grief. "Maybe if she was around when I passed... Maybe Dan wouldn't have gone down that path. He would have someone to keep him-"

Jazz threw her arms around Izzy, cutting off the rest of her sentence.

"She thinks I could have...helped..." Tears filled the entire room even from its hidden occupant.

Danielle had been so focused on all the negative voices that had been filling her life lately she had never considered that someone she didn't consider how much of an impact she had made on Izzy.

For someone so strong to find this in herm brought a glimmer of hope to Danielle's heart.

Because, in the moment, it didn't matter what the reporter said, it didn't matter what road she chose in the end. She had _them._ Ember was right.The rest would come in time. She wasn't in a sea of decisions, she was surrounded by love. Time could spare a minute.

* * *

 **And there we go. See you guys next chapter, I'm really excited for you guys to see it. Bring tissues.**


	12. Chapter 12: The Man On The Hill

**Ch. 12. This chapter has importance. It really does in the long run.**

* * *

The dinner was calm for the first time in weeks. There wasn't an immediate threat and the meal was simple, meatloaf with baked potatoes and grilled corn on the cob that Danielle and Dan had cooked up while both Maddie, Jack, Pamela, and Jeremy set up the table.

The smell of food floated in the air as the entire family sat at the giant table at Fenton Headquarters, which was the new name for Fenton Works after the international expansion when Dan had destroyed the house in his rampage in his first visit.

Good times, good times.

Smiles were painted on everyone's faces as laughter and conversation made its way around the table. Even Valerie— who's flight was scheduled for the next day to go back to her family for a few days— had shed her walls in order to join in on the fun.

It was a moment of peace they had not gotten since Vlad's appearance. It wasn't like they weren't keeping an eye out for the fruitloop, but they all felt that they needed just a little piece of normal.

The air was actually filled with peace. Spines were relaxed as everyone laid easily into their seat at the table, shoulders weren't rigged with worry. No, instead, eyes danced with a sense of happiness and ease. Minds were at rest as they chattered and passed around the food.

However, real life often failed to be a fairy tale.

Jazz stabbed at her food, refusing to look up as she spoke clearly, "Anyone come up with a plan yet?" She somehow found the courage to glance up and share s look around the table where everyone was seated.

Jack took a rather large bite of his food before answering. "Well, I was thinking about putting that razzleberry pie in the oven for dessert, maybe we could put a scoop of ice cream on it."

Maddie patted her husband on the shoulder, softly scratching her fingers into the orange fabric of his jumpsuit. "I think they mean about our former classmate, honey."

And just like that, while the happiness was still swirling in the atmosphere, a haunting worry clung to the edge of the air as well.

His eye dropped to his food-filled plate, completely depleted at the mention of his former friend. "Oh yeah, that would make more sense."

They fell on silence for a second before Izzy spoke up. "Well, we know that my restraints work on him."

Danny nodded and added his own thoughts. "Dad punched him into the Ghost Zone with the element of surprise, so even with all the power he has, he can still be caught off guard."

Izzy paused for a moment, her gaze straining against nothing as her stare went straight forward. "There's something else. Something we've all been avoiding... Vlad ….isn't alive anymore. He can't be. The way I shot him, and the way he got back up so easily. Something tells me he's been dead for a while."

Anyone who was still eating put down whatever was in hand.

Words were next to impossible to form and give voice to, but Dan somehow managed to breathe out, "How?" When no one gave an answer, he forced his words to gain some volume. "How can anyone. It's not natural…."

Danielle stirred at her potatoes before she said, "I don't know. I thought there were being's in the Ghost Zone that would prevent this sort of thing."

"Maybe there were, but I think Clockwork and I took them out of the equation."

Roy was mid-sip with his soda when he caught Danielle's words and quickly placed his pop back down on the table. "Wait, what're you talking about?"

Jazz took her fiance's hand. "You wouldn't know, would you? When Dan was still dark, we tried to stop him by luring him into a trap. He was trying to trick him into creating a paradox and by doing so, would get the attention of beings called The Balance. These creatures do what their name suggests, they keep the balance. If there's anything that isn't how it's supposed to be, they come and remove the problem before it happens. Maybe they could bring Vlad to where he belongs."

Izzy waved her fork a bit as she noticed a flaw with the theory. "Wait though. Other people'ave passed since we locked them up. It's not like people have just stopped doing stuff because of their absence. Why is he alive and not everyone else?"

Danny's fingers drummed against the kitchen table, drowning out the short silence that blanketed them. "Because he's half ghost, or rather was. C'mon, think about it, that's how he's staying in this world, even though his human half's long dead. I just don't know how."

Danielle smiled. "I think, I know someone who does."

* * *

"To start off, ghosts do not work how your stories human have told them. When you die, you move on, human and ghost. No, how ghost work, is they are not dead people. However, in most cases, death is a part of the process of a ghost."

Everyone had their eyes trained on the elder ghost as he moved back and fro, his ghostly tail barely touching the carpet of the living room as he floated, arm poised upward with his index finger pointed to the sky as if he was a teacher about to make his biggest point yet to his students.

"Take our friend Ember, She has dreams of being a rock star and she has a flame design to her. Long ago your world, with many others, was shared by both humans and spectators. However, as time, advanced differences became clear and the Ghost Zone was created. Not long after, the ghost fled to the Ghost Zone, only returning to the physical realm from time to time. Even though spectators are no longer present on the earth, our footprints still remains."

Clockwork sighed as she stalled his pacing float and directed his gaze on the large group Fenton-Manson-Foley-family. Every eye sparkled with curiosity as they heed his words. His boiling red eyes that spoke of nothing but a fierce will to protect and help them understand the situation that had befallen on them.

"A tiny amount of ecto-radiation layers every inch of your world. It's like the radiation from a cell phone, nearly harmless when handled right. However, when a tragic or highly emotion fueled event happens surrounding a death those feelings linger and over time take shape into our modern day ghost. The more powerful the emotion the more powerful the ghost. Ember was the result of an upcoming musician forgetting to put out her cigarette."

Even as she absorbed the information, Danielle was utterly stumped with it. Nothing made sense in her eyes. "This still doesn't explain Vlad though."

His face lit up at the mention of the former-halfa. "Ah yes. Mr. Masters. Danielle, I believe you might have some clue as to how this happened."

Danielle's eyebrows shot up in question. "What do you mean?"

"Not too long ago, you had visions of Vlad's past. To be specific the night he returned to this realm of the cosmos. I had been keeping an eye on him for a while and before any of you say it, no, there are some things I just cannot interfere with."

"So, you can break the rules when it's convenient."

"Time and space are not as simple as people think."

The twenty two year old rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, a mirror image of her Mom. "Yeah, like that's nothing I haven't heard a million times on Doctor Who."

Clockwork huffed as he ignored her and focused on her family. "Still, Danielle knows somewhat of what happened to Mr. Masters."

She absent mindlessly nodded. "He was running from something, something big. He was heavy and at the same time, lighter than what he should have been. When he tried to make his escape, he was hit directly in the chest with some strange spear. Next thing I know, he was with the Shadow Master and he was not in good shape. Other than that, I have no idea what was going on."

"That is where I can fill in the rest." All eyes went back to the time ghost. "You see, not long after the events of the Disasteroid, Vlad was found drifting in space by a race of alien slavers. They soon learned of his powers and put him to use. He was there for several decades before he could engineer his escape. Using their advanced technology Vlad found a way to cause the star they were orbiting to go supernova. In the chaos, he made his escape."

Gazes strayed away from Clockwork, unable, and frankly unwilling to look him directly in the eye as he finished what they knew the answer to already.

"He was almost through the portal when he was stabbed in the chest with a spear. He should have died right then and there but as the heat of the supernova began to wipe out the solar system all the life from that system created so much grief and anguish it had enough power to keep Vlad's spirit attached to him even after his body had died."

"How do we stop him?"

Clockwork smiled. "We release the beasts."

* * *

"Okay, so once we free this thing's, what's to stop 'em from taking out their eternal vengeance on us?" Danielle asked as her baby blues kept jumping between Clockwork and her family, all looking to him for the answers.

"They will not be interested in vengeance. Their sole purpose is to fix any imbalance in the natural and ghost world."

Balancing on her left foot, Danielle nervously dug her right into the rug, hoping that'd calm a few her jitters that bounced through her. "Yeah, but the last time we saw these things, they were trying to wipe Dan out of existence."

"That was because he was unstable and a menace to the timeline. He would have created a paradox where only he would have survived."

Izzy looked at Dan, her honey eyes contemplating murder. "Seriously?"

Giving a short cough to bring the two back to him, Clockwork continued. "Anyway, they were also being swayed by how the observances were manipulating time. Now that they have been stopped, things should be evened out meaning they will not go after you. Hopefully."

" _Hopefully!?_ Can't you do a little better than hopefully!?"

"I'm playing with the cards I have, kid."

Dan exchanged a small glance with Danielle. "Did... Did he just call me kid?

The young woman gave a nonchalant shrug. "He's 5046. You _are_ a kid to him."

"You know his age!?"

"Yeah... Lilith talks."

The ghost before them sighed once more at losing the attention of the two halfa's. _"Anyway,_ from all the emotional soaked Ecto radiation, mixed with him outliving his death, they should hone on to him the moment they exit the void. So, in theory, you all should have nothing to worry about."

Izzy shivered at the implications. "That's comforting"

Clockwork continued to stress the importance of the situation. "It seems at the moment Mr. Master's is inactive. Meaning, we have the element of surprise. However, if things were to get out of hand you all should be prepared for the fight of your life. So, no matter how bad the threat of Vlad is, we must take precautions as not to join him in his slumber."

"Should we really go to this extreme." Danielle pointed to her uncle that stood to the left of her as she reminded them, "I mean, I get it, we had to with Dan, but that wasn't until after we tried everything and nothing worked. And in the end, guess what, It _didn't_ work."

Clockwork chuckled in amusement. "That's because I interfered. If I hadn't been partially created by them, and hadn't been around them for all of my existence, I would not have known how to keep Dan safe from them. They could have easily wiped out him out with a flick of their wrist. We cannot afford to mess around this time. No sitting on our butts, waiting for you to come up with plan after plan. We're taking Vlad Master's out with all that we have. This is the only plan that will ever have a chance."

Roy inched closer to Jazz, wrapping an arm softly around her waist. "How do protect ourselves from things so powerful?"

The time ghost's hazy red eyes pierced right through them as his lips split into an unnerving almost sinisterly happy smile, overtaking most of his face, reaching and flickering an excitable— it was almost as if his soul was internally bouncing— light into his usual bored eyes as he bared his pearly white teeth, "Cunning and resources. These aren't normal spirits and have been here since near the beginning. You cannot eliminate them. You cannot outrun them. You can only hope to stay out of their way and pray you don't upset them."

Roy looked away, his Adam apple bobbing slightly at the fear that festered in his throat. "That's pleasant."

Jazz released herself from Roy's embrace as she went to Clockwork. "So, you said that we should take a couple days to prepare?"

His eyes slanted close together as he looked to her with questions of his own in his eyes. "Yes. That is what I said. Why do you ask?"

The technologist's feet left the air for a second as she bounced in excitement. "I just had to make sure. Okay, everyone into the Fenton RV. I'll be there in a sec. I'm sorry to cut this short, Clockwork, but we really have somewhere to be."

They all entered the RV taking their seats as Jazz darted upstairs to do who knew what. She soon returned, clad in a simple chiffon white dress that was simply made more for a cocktail party as it flowed straight down, held no bedding, and was held up with two spaghetti straps on her shoulders. While very simple, it was definitely an ordinary dress.

Once she was seated, the RV started up, and carried them to an unknown location— unknown to the everyone else besides Jazz and Roy— the autopilot GPS that Jazz installed working perfectly.

As they looked back to Clockwork floating outside of their house, a look of a mourning on his face.

* * *

Everyone was genuinely happy in the moment as they drove down an open country road, but, as genuine as the happiness was, so was an unknown sadness— Something no one could place, or voice— that riddled beneath the surface of that joy. It was light, hardly there, but still: it could be seen if looked hard enough

Dan and Izzy sat across from Jazz and Roy as he studied his sister curiously. "So, what're we doing? You have this thing set to a destination. Even Dad doesn't know where we're going. Besides, kidnapping does not seem like you two."

Jazz playfully slapped his knee that was in reach as she glared at him teasingly. "Hey, I therapy you, not the other way around."

Dan chuckled at the absurd wording from his sister. That still doesn't answer the question, where the hell are we going and for what?"

"A moment of happiness."

Dan gave her a pointed look at the vague answer, almost demanding she be more specific with his harsh glare.

Jazz rolled her eyes, but relented nonetheless. "With all that's been happening, we need a moment to ourselves, where we decide what happens. And I'm sorry to burst everyone's bubble, we don't know what could happen the next day with Vlad being here. We're not safe, we're never safe. But I'm gonna take with what we have right now and enjoy what time we may or may not have."

Pointing her index at Danny, eyeing him mischievously. "Don't think this gets you out of the real deal, we're still going with what we planned in a year, but this, this is for us. I'm a perfectionist, that isn't going to change."

" _That doesn't explain what's going on!"_

Ignoring the two, Jazz looked out as the dark clouds that had been oppressing Amity were just beginning to part as the sun was setting, letting the beautiful hues of orange, reds, yellows, and pinks exploded over the sky, taking claim of Amity in a beautiful display.

They arrived at a small hill outside of town where a formal looking man stood atop the mound of dirt and grass. Jazz and Roy rose from their seats the moment the RV rolled to a careful stop under the gravel.

Danny glanced out the window once more to get a better view, seeing as Pamela and Jeremy— who had taken their own car after Jazz gave them the directions in secret— standing rather close to the unown man. "Eh, sis? What's going on?"

Not answering directly, she only pointed to the small group of people gathered together. "Everyone, get out and on to that hill." And with her words having left her mouth, Jazz and Roy ran out of the RV hand in hand, kicking up dirt as their feet pounded against the hill.

Danny looked to Dan. "They _aren't_. We aren't gonna..."

Dan patted Danny on the shoulder with a hard thump. "Come on, smaller me. Time to put on our formal faces. It looks like we have a wedding to attend."

The slight breeze that ran throughout the hillside pulled at their clothing and hair, ruffling it all about as they made their way out of the RV.

As they neared the clearing they saw Jazz and Roy standing on opposite sides of the man on the hill. Looking to the side, they saw Lilith in a charcoal black ruffled a-line dress, hair pinned back into a lazy bun, with no makeup painting her face.

Danielle skipped the rest of the away across the field, and enveloped her sister in a tight hug. "Of course you'd know about this." Looking down at her sister's attire, she gave a small chuckle at the sight of her dress. "Don't you think that's a little inappropriate to wear right now?"

Rolling her eyes at Danielle, Lilith sighed. "Sis, have you ever seen me wear a dress in the time you have known me, other than the one from Mom and Dad's wedding? Which, I should add, Cujo literally destroyed. This is the only one I own at the moment; not that I plan on buying a new one anytime soon."

Danielle turned her attention to the pair that joined their hands in front of the preacher, she moved closer to Lilith as to keep her voice to a whisper as to not in interrupt the man that was marrying them. "Yeah, I never really took you for the dress type. So yeah, Aunt Jazz and Uncle Roy... I honestly figured they might move up the date a bit sooner, but I never imagined Jazz would be the one to do it spontaneously. Uncle Roy really has made a difference in her life."

Lilith's gaze was glossed over as she looked on at the two reciting their vows to each other. Love swalled them, but for Lilith, the warmth of the love that paraded in the bride and grooms eyes just wouldn't reach her at the moment. "Yeah, I guess Roy has."

Danielle shifted her weight, and gave a sideways glance at Lilith's toneless words. "You know, I just noticed you never call Uncle Roy, Uncle. What, did he forget to give you a birthday present or something?"

Lilith shook her head, tears prickling at the rim of her eyes. "No, I just..." A tear fell from Lilith's eye.

" _Now that you've said your individual vows, please repeat after me."_

The family smiled on as they remained oblivious to Danielle and Lilith's conversation.

"Lilith, what happens to Roy?"

Lilith put on her best smile as the happy couple recited word for word, as asked.

" _Until death, do us part."_

The anger started to boil deep in Danielle's stomach at getting nothing for an answer from her sister.

"Lilith seriously, with everything going on right now, I have to know if Uncle Roy dies."

Lilith looked at her for only a moment but for Danielle, it was she needed. Time paused in her mind's eye, not with the help of her sister or Clockwork

Lilith let out a nervous chuckle, her eyes now ridden red with tears. "I always end up crying at weddings."

Danielle looked at the two as they finished the quiet _I do_ that was only for them.

 _"I now pronounce you, man and wife!"_

"She's going to be devastated."

 _"You may kiss the bride."_

"She pulls through in the end. You make sure to that."

Lilith's words do little to assure Danielle.

 _"May I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Edwards!"_

* * *

 **Trust me when I say, this isn't a filler chapter— not in the traditional way at least. Please read and review.**


	13. Chapter 13: A Thought To Think

**Ch. 13. There is a trigger warning for attempts of suicide. I feel like I should take a moment here and say: please, if you're feeling suicidal, depressed or anything near it, please, please, I urge you to go seek someone and talk to them. Suicide is never the answer, no matter how easy it seems. Sometimes the simplest conversation can help. Please remember that there's people out there that care. You're worth so much.**

 **Please, do enjoy.**

* * *

There were many horrible things that Danielle had seen in her short— technically— ten years of life. Running from a half ghost that was bent on creating the perfect child from the true child he wanted for the first two years of that life would give one the perspective of a horrible, unwanted childhood. That childhood so happened to be hers, no matter how much she wished it hadn't been.

Vlad had taken many things from many people, but the fact that he just kept taking no matter how many people he hurt. It sickened Danielle. He would never stop, never give up.

With Jazz and Roy on their honeymoon, if she could even call it that, seeing as they were just staying at an in-town hotel, having a 'proper' honeymoon as much as possible.

The team had been short staffed for a couple the past couple of days with their absence. There had been no sign of Vlad yet, so at least that was something in her mind.

At the moment, Danielle sat atop the tallest building in Amity, her legs dangling over the ledge, the sun beating down her neck as it floated proudly above her in the afternoon musk, and the wind swishing her hair playfully around in her face, even with the hair tie that did its best to hold the strands back.

Danielle's eyes glancing down at all the giant ants that were citizens of the amity that walked below her. All of them unique and simple, normal yet extraordinary. They would just go on about with their day because it's just what they did. Even if they thought about the events of the past month, they still did what they needed to.

Sure, there were people who were aware of how bad things were, but if she went to the Nasty Burger, there would still be someone there to serve her fries. There would be shopkeepers in the mall. Cashiers at retail stores. People just working. Lives went on, that's just how it was.

Everyone around the world looked up to her Dad and her— along with Team Phantom as a whole— but to Danielle, _they_ were the ones who were amazing. How they could just bounce back just in a snap. Like nothing phased them. Maybe nothing did at this point.

"I'm so sorry, Susan. I've tried living without you, but I just can't. I'll always love you. Goodbye."

Danielle turned her head— trying to locate the raspy voice— just in time to see a man in a stained blue t-shirt, ginger hair askew, and while she couldn't get a good look at his face as his back was to her, she could've guessed his face looked heavy with sleep.

He was looking down into the street below, his head hung low, as if he was in a deep trance that he couldn't be broken of.

What Danielle hadn't expected while she studied this stranger was his next move.

With one more glance to the sky, he took a step over the ledge, off of the building not caring what lay below his feet.

 _"No!"_

Danielle jumped off the building out of pure instinct, not even sparing a moment to turn ghost before doing so. Falling fast, she reached for the man and was able to grasp at his shirt. Thinking even faster, she wrapped herself around him and turned them both intangible before they reached the ground.

The ground went through them as Danielle did her best to stop them without causing whiplash.

Finally, she was able to slow their fall and made them come to a to a complete stop in the Amity sewer system.

The guy— who seemed oddly familiar, maybe school?— had murky blue eyes that were nothing short of dead. His skinny face was sunken in from lack of sleep. Even his freckles looked lifeless. His skin shone with oily pores that hadn't been washed in what Danielle would've guessed weeks.

His voice was raspy, a weak grable as he conjured the will to speak. "Why'd you do that? I didn't want to be saved, I wanted to... I wanted to join my fiance, dammit! You should've let me die."

Danielle grabbed his arm and phased them through the street above, pulling them to the sidewalk to avoid the buzz of traffic. "Listen, I know you're down, but there's another way."

He pulled his arm away from Danielle's grip. "How the hell would you know, _hero_?"

He began to walk away when Danielle couldn't hold it in any longer. "Because last week, I jumped, too!"

He stopped on a dime. She couldn't see his expression but she didn't need to. He turned to look at her. Confusion and a taste of anger lining his face. "Don't patronize me. What reason would someone like _you_ have for jumping."

A tear formed in her eye as a pain-filled smile spread across her face. "A lot, actually. I'll tell you about it if you promise to stay grounded for a week."

* * *

The two sat across from each other in a booth at the Rusty Ghost. Izzy had taken their order and the two were waiting for their drinks. With only two other couples occupying the small establishment, Danielle wasn't worried about being overheard. The only people on duty were Izzy and Jenny, and they knew to keep to themselves when Danielle asked.

The stranger— as Danielle had yet to receive his name yet— sat stretched out in his seat, slouched with his legs spread out wide below the table, arms laid lazily on the table as he dipped lower into his seat. He looked awkwardly uncomfortable, seeing as his ass was halfway off the seat that he occupied.

His eyes shone with unamusement as he stared directly at her. "Okay, so spill it. If I'm supposed to "stay grounded" then you have to tell me why you were up there. Heck, it's not like you have a bad life, I even remember you back in high school and even then you had it great."

Danielle scoffed. "Well, if you remember me from back then, you know just like everyone else where I came from."

He shrugged, obviously not giving a damn. "Yeah, 14-year-old girl, 16-year-old parents, and a mad scientist who tried to play God. You know, you're either one really good comic book origin, or a crappy rerun of Jerry Springer."

Danielle rolled her dull blue eyes "Yeah, like I haven't heard that one before."

"But that's the thing. Even with that weird ass backstory, you owned it and became something. Do you want to know what happened to me after high school? I left my parents, got a job, lived in a crappy apartment and had a normal boring life while every day I got home sore from work, turned on the news, and there you and your family were, saving an orphanage or stopping a supervillain. Meanwhile, I sat on my couch eating cheese puffs."

"Hey, don't dis the cheese puffs."

He gave her a nasty look. "All that changed one day when I was walking to work. It was an average day, blue skies, birds chirping and your father flying high above the city as he chased the bad guy of the week. I was about a block away from my job when the said villain was knocked into the building above me. Glass shattered and it rained down. In front of me was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen."

He didn't seem to want to share the information, but he did so anyway. "She was wearing these giant square glasses, flowing brown hair, and the dorkiest of t-shirts to go with her baggy jeans. Of course, she didn't notice the glass, she had earbuds in, so I bolted for her and pushed her to the ground as the glass hit my back. The pain was excruciating but when she looked up at me with her stunning hazel eyes it wasn't so bad."

As he continued with his story, Danielle could see a hint of happiness floating in his dead iris.

"Her name was Susan. It took me three days in the hospital before I could even go home. Heck, I still have the scar. But for those three days, Susan was there by my side. She was so grateful for what I had done that she offered to buy me a meal after I got out."

He coughed as the words left, breaking whatever cry that wanted to come forth. "That was three years ago to this very day. In those three years, all of the mundane rituals of my life seemed to be filled with joy. Even the simplest of tasks was something special when I knew what was waiting for me afterward. It took me a while to realize that my life had meaning to it. Even though I wasn't flying above the city, I was still somebody to her."

Just as he was about to continue, Izzy broke the small space between them, setting down their drinks and giving Danielle a gentle rub on the head before she scampered away to fill in another order, obviously to their conversation.

"How did she pass?"

He gave a dry chuckle. "Well, that's the question, isn't it? Like always, it was a normal day for us. She had work downtown and I had one of my days off. I was sitting on the same old couch eating the same old cheese puffs when on TV everything was about Danny Phantom."

Danielle stirred at her coffee, keeping entertained by the how the milk and black coffee mixed together. It was better to stare at the coffee than the guy.

He returned his attention back on Danielle. "Anyway, it was the big 10 of him protecting us and how did we celebrate, well with a big parade of course. To kick it off, we had the man himself, downtown, in front of thousands, present himself and his brother to the world."

He paused as the memories danced across his eyes, invisible to Danielle, yet so real to him.

"My fiance could see it from her office. She said it was spectacular. Then as the celebration kicks off who else but our former supervillain mayor shows up and blows up the top half of every building downtown just to send a message. The love of my life and the future of that life turned to ash just for an ego boost and where were our great heroes to protect her."

Danielle tried to gain the strength to speak, to at least say sorry, but all words fell short for her. They couldn't convey what she felt. Not at this second at least. How does one say: 'I'm sorry for letting your fiance die? Simple answer: No one could.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to keep his emotions in check. "They were standing there, powerless to protect not only her, but anyone else there. Your family's saved hundreds of people, your father saved the whole world, but the one time I needed you, the one time _she_ needed you. You all amounted to nothing."

Danielle took a moment to his words sink in. Once they actually reached her, she forced herself to look up at him.

A triumphant smirk tugged at his lips as he straightened out his slouch that he had put himself in. It seemed to him that his words had finally broken her heroic facade. "So, please tell me how your life can be so bad that felt like taking a dive into the deep end of the pavement because I want to know!"

She didn't falter as she spoke clearly to him, the words stung as they left her mouth.. "376. There were a total of 376 people who died that day. Your fiance's name was Susan Marie Davis. I know, because I know all their names. Not just the ones who died in the celebration, but every person whom my family and I failed to save."

And it did indeed, cause him to break. The smirk fell from his face as he was the one to avoid her gaze now.

But even so, Danielle took no pride in it, no satisfaction. "You try being fast enough or strong enough, but in the end, there's always going to be that one in a thousand that you can't save. When it happens you don't go to bed at night thinking about the thousand you saved, you think about the one you didn't catch in time."

Danielle hated to admit it, but the guilt ate at her every time. It took a piece of her with every life that had been taken. A piece— no matter how hard she tried— she couldn't get back.

"You see their eyes as they look to you in desperation and hope only to know that you couldn't save them. When I sat atop that building, I went through every name that kept me up at night and the fact that with that monster back the list of names would only keep growing."

No one truly understood that part of the job. They didn't walk in their shoes, no matter how much some wished it. They could say how much they cared, how much they did understand the troubles that her job brought, but they didn't. They just _didn't._ She and her family were the ones that held the burden so nobody else had to.

"My uncle nearly sacrificed himself because I didn't have the strength to stop him. Your fiance and countless others, died because _I_ wasn't strong enough. When the reality of the situation finally sunk in, I closed my eyes and took the plunge."

She left the fact that out, that because of Vlad, and what Lilith told her, something was going to happen to Roy…. Death. And she felt the responsibility of that full force on her shoulders. She still hadn't told Jazz, and she knew she wasn't allowed to. It only brought more pain to Danielle's guilt.

The guy glanced around the diner, eyes still avoiding her. "I... I never knew."

She blinked, but otherwise kept her face barren. "Most people don't. Most people don't have to know. They look up and see us stop the baddy and save the citizen. But for the people, we don't catch... People like your fiance, their families are the ones who know what it's like to see that empty chair at the table. It's the messed up thing about being a hero. The hero has to win every time but the villain only has to win once."

He eyed her cautiously before asking in a small voice, "So, what was it then? What was it that made you magically stop and make life worth living?"

She gave a small laugh that held her sound as she lifted her coffee for a quick swig. "You want the honest answer? Nothing. Nothing 'magically made it worth it.'"

"Then why did you stop yourself from going through with it and ending it all?"

"My family."

She smiled as he paused his own sip of coffee. "They don't erase the pain. It's always going to be there and nothing can make it magically go away. Not even the ones you love. I blame myself for not stopping Vlad when he returned, but as I fell, it wasn't the faces of all those I had failed to save flashing before me, it was their families."

She pulled out her phone, turning it on, and swiping through the screen to show him the many pictures of her family that she had taken over the years

"All those people out there right now that're never going to see their loved ones again and I was going to do that to my family. They were going to be the ones sitting with an empty chair every holiday and as I fell faster and faster to the ground, I realized for the first time, without a doubt, I'm not alone in this."

He's looked over the pictures, even smiling along with her at the people that surrounded her. Every picture held love. Every picture held meaning. Even if it was a small insangifant, moment.

"Even with Vlad here, I have people who would do anything just to see me one last time. People I love and who love me back. And no matter what, in the end, you do too. Even if it's not many, hell even if it's just one person. There is someone in this world who could not live to see your cheese puff stained couch empty."

He was submerged into silence, only being able to take drinks of his coffee every few seconds.

But that didn't deter her. "They might not make it worth it in the moment, but they're apart of what does make it worth it in the end. And that really helps."

Somewhere along the way, he found his voice. "So, you didn't just save me because you have a hero complex... You actually care."

And for the first time since they sat down, Danielle threw her head back, and gave an honest, happy laugh. "Surprise, not everyone who puts on colorful tight's do it 'cause they have something to prove. Heck, I don't even know if this is something I really want to do. The truth is, I don't know what I want to do with my life yet."

The shock on his face was even more laughable than his question before.

"I know I don't wanna stop helping people, and that's a big part of the job: making sure people are okay. But the fame and the recognition... I don't think that's me. I definitely don't have the confidence like my dad. I wonder how he can do what he does every day while the whole world looks to him and shouts his name from below. I wish it were me, but it just isn't."

He sat there silently as the events of the day played over and over again in his head.

"Thanks, Danielle. I think I need to go spend some time with my family and I think you should do the same. Oh, and when you see your Dad, please tell him that shouting "I'm going ghost" wasn't a great way to hide his identity."

As he got up, Danielle reached into her pocket and handed him a small card.

He briefly scanned the card, reading it out loud, "Jazz Fenton, psychiatrist?"

"She's gonna have to get the last name changed, but the rest of the info is still good. Also, I should say this now: I know each situation is different. You have a different life, with different people in it, so it may be difficult with how you talk to them. But trust me, they love you. They really do, and they don't wanna see you gone."

"Thanks. I think I'll make a visit."

As he went to make his leave, walking out the door, Danielle stopped him one last time. "I didn't catch your name!"

He kept walking as he called out over his shoulder. "It's Wes... Wes Krueger."

* * *

Danielle laid across her bed, legs spread out, taking the entire space of the bed as she looked outside to the gentle rain that fell on the twilight hour. The deep reds that overtook the harsh grey clouds cast a great contrast of beautiful colors as they had opened themselves just enough for the setting sun to share it's light.

She heard a knock on the door as her Dad made his presence known. "Dinner's almost ready. We're havin' spaghetti." Danny was in the process of closing the door when Danielle interrupted him.

"Dad, can you come in here? I wanna talk to you about something."

Danny stepped inside and sat next to her on the bed. "What's going on?"

She sighed as she tucked her legs underneath her for more room. "Back in Green Bay, I was off my game and I think we all knew it. It was really hard for me to be there, I mean know it's just a town, but the fact that it was so close to where it all began for me, was something I just couldn't take. I thought after so many years it wouldn't bother me, but it did."

Danny smiled as he sat down next to her, placing her legs back onto his lap. "Well, that's okay. No ones expecting you to move on and just swallow that pain. You have'ta figure out how to process your past in your own way and that sort of thing takes time."

He looked away for a moment, a hint of something that looked like shame sitting in his eyes.

"I know it's not the same, but your mom is still figuring things out with Nana, and I still flinch when Grandpa points a new invention at me by accident. What I'm trying to say is, it's okay if you can't move on right away, 'cause we'll be there for you when you need the support. It's what family does."

There was a moment of silence as she shifted herself closer to tuck herself into her Dad's side, needing his comfort.

After a few seconds, she continued on another thought that had been buzzing in her head for a while. "Speaking of Green Bay, back in Vlad's lab, he was a hair away from catching me or for worse and then you just jumped in front of him like I've never seen you before. The fire in your eyes as you struck his hand away from me. What was that?"

"Do you remember way back when we first went after the Shadow Master?"

"Yeah, I still have the scars."

He pulled back to be able to get a better look at her. "Well seeing those marks on you made something very clear to me that I hadn't realized until then. Whether you were made the regular way or in a lab, you're my daughter and in those marks, I wasn't a Dad. I was just some kid with superpowers who thought he could take on the world without any consequences."

They both flinched at the memories. It still haunted their nightmares.

Danny braved on. "Seeing you hurt like that... because of my actions, opened my eyes to what I had to do and what you needed me to be. So, seeing Vlad come at you, at that same spot, I was never going to let that happen to you again. Not to my daughter."

Danielle looked at her Dad with tears lining her eyes. Without a warning, she jumped into his arms, soaking in a warm embrace, clinging to him as much as could. She pulled back as gently after a bit, missing the warmth that he always brought.. "Dad, I need to tell you something and... I'm sorry."

Danny listened in to every pain-filled word as he envisioned his daughter on the top of that building seeing her fall over and over again with every word she said. His heart dropped to his stomach, the pounding that would usually accompany such terrible things didn't even echo in his ears. It was as if his heart had stopped altogether as it tightened in the pits of his guts.

Tears were now streaming down Danielle's face as her Dad tried to hold himself back in order for her to finish telling him all that she needed to.

The two held each other in their arms as the door creaked open with her Mom and boyfriend joining in on the embrace after receiving a quick text from Danny.

Not long after, Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, and Papa arrived, all worried at the message that they received. All bringing with snacks, sleeping bags— they all insisted to somehow sleep in her cramped room with her for comfort and support— and just stories. Just talking.

The large family sat there for hours afterward taking turns talking about how hard things had been for them lately and as the sun finally set and the moon overtook the skies, they were happy to know that on that day, there would not be an empty seat at the table.

* * *

 **Not gonna lie, this was a hard one to write. I hope you enjoyed though. IF you ever need to talk and need for someone to just listen, please just drop me a PM. I'm always here. "No matter how bad things get, just know that there is someone who would do anything just to say hi to you one last time" From my cheesy husband/co-writer. :D**


	14. Chapter 14: Crimson Rain

**Ch. 14! Please, enjoy!**

* * *

"The signal's coming in from over here!"

"Hurry up, damn it! The signal keeps moving and if we don't capture it now, we never will!" The agent ran down the hall to see ecto scattered about the entirety of the building."It's just up ahead, now, get moving!"

The heavy sound of hundreds of boots crushing the tile floor beneath their feet echoed through the halls. Each one in a white camouflage uniform that in no way matched the climate of the area. It colors or lacks thereof was not for the function it was their statement. It had taken years to gain traction after the government tried to shut them down, but they had finally risen from the ashes to become something more than the "Guys in White."

On this night the world would know who to truly fear and it would not be some pathetic halfa. No, on this night, The Winter Army would take its place above this world as it properly should. They would never be seen as weak again.

"We have it, it's just through these doors!" The soldier shouted looking back to his general.

They locked eyes briefly before the boss gave the order. "What the hell're you waiting for? Break it down!"

Two men came up with a hydraulic battering ram and secured it in front of the door, before swinging it back and letting the force of the tool do its job. The hallway boomed as the doors flew off their hinges. Nothing but a pool of darkness loomed before them.

 _"Go!"_

The men quickly ran into the room, only to find more darkness as well as a sick feeling stirring in the pit of their stomach. It swayed in the mass of agents that stood still within the shadow of darkness that blanketed them.

"Where are you, you halfa freak?"

Silence.

They spun around, guns poised and ready to fire at a moments notice. They could feel eyes crawling all over, every single agent knew they weren't alone as a cold sweat broke out and ran down the nape of their necks.

Only the first in command braved on enough to speak. "You don't scare me. You're nothin' but a privileged brat, who picked on a 14-year-old. Do you think you scare any of us?"

The sound of liquid being spilled echoed in the dark room. "Agent 67, confirm that noise!"

Silence.

 _"Agent 67, reply!"_

Again, the sound of liquid echoed.

The general stepped forward when he heard the liquid splash under his boot. Reaching down he touched it with his finger, and upon pulling his hand back, felt a warm sticky substance coating the tips of his fingers. It only took a second for him to realize what it was, and even shorter for him to scream.

 _"Open fire!"_

The ignition of each shot illuminated the room with green lighting that shot out of their weapons for moments at a time as the soldiers saw something only to be described as inhuman flash toward them.

Over a thousand shots were fired in rapid in a quick succession. Nothing made contact.

The shots only hit air.

They couldn't make out what it looked like exactly, only that death probably looked more inviting at this point.

One of the agents that was buried deep within the mass of others, shouted, "Someone, kill it!"

"No, we need it alive!"

The smell of crimson rain filled the room more and more with every missed shot.

Everyone who tried to take the monster down only focused on him, never seeing their numbers decreasing with every moment. Nor did they hear the screams that surrounded them as one after another was ripped apart piece by piece.

 _"Stop him!"_

As the last drop of rain splattered against the ground, the room was silent once more.

Soon, bone became muscle, pulsing around him as it formed into the same sickly blue that brought a happy peace to Vlad's mind. Muscle quickly became flesh, and that flesh had curled into a sickly demonic smile. "It's a good start."

Looking upon his work he stepped over to one of the soldiers and lay his hand in the limp man as he entered the lifeless form. The man stood in a way that no man could as Vlad moved the flesh to press on the com unit. The man's former voice spoke to the other end.

"We have him. No survivors."

* * *

The room was filled with agents. All scampering around as they secured all room, making sure the tubes that was brimming with an electric green liquid that would house the mad ghost.

The head of the experiment department went to one of the scientists, who was looking over some of the stats recorded the level of ecto energy that it held. "Containment field, ready?"

The guy that was in charge of the containment tubes looked up from his clipboard, his eyes going to the tube, and then back to the board in his grasp. "Yes, sir!"

Lacing his hand behind together behind him, the boss lightly tapped his foot against the granite as he studied the sight before him. "Restraints, ready?"

Flipping through a few pages, the scientist nodded in affirmation. "Yes, sir!"

His brown eyes lit up in excitement as his lips curled into a cold smile, a bit of a bounce in the sole of his feet. "Good. Now, we all know what we're dealing with here. We have already lost great men today and I do not want any screw-ups resulting in any more losses today, do you understand?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Agent 214 will be here at any moment with the halfa, so be on your guard and do not let anything through. The halfa is crafty and might try to trick you into giving it his freedom. You are to remain headstrong. This is not a man, he is not a person. He is our property and will remain so until we have no further use for him. It will regain its freedom when it enters the void. Until that day it's very soul belongs to us."

The sound of tires crunching against the dirt as vehicles came to a slow rolling stop could be heard outside the hanger. The door screeched opened to reveal the only surviving agent from the field mission.

He loosened his hands from behind his back, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Welcome back, agent."

A twisted smile spread across the agent's lips.

Within a moment, the puppet surrounding Vlad had fallen to the floor, lifeless without its master pulling the strings.

The boss's lips split with horror, the words leaving his mouth without thought. _"Fire!"_

The sound of the rain was the same as before. it mattered not whether the room was dark or bright they were all insects to him and they knew it. One by one, the flies dropped to the ground as their exterminator moved on to the next swarm. He was swift— his movements without warning or tell.

They were all _weak._

They thought he could be contained. But they would see with their own blood how much he had grown, how he wanted to see their heads _roll_. How the lifeless stare their eyes would soon have brought butterflies to his stomach. Oh, how they would regret their actions soon enough before he slowly ripped them to mere nothingness.

Oh, the life their death would bring.

His smile was etched in their eyes before the darkness consumed them. To the monster that blazed through the halls, their screams were music and he, the maestro. With every stroke, the tempo would rise and fall. Soon, the beat became faster and faster as he moved with inhuman speed. The white walls were painted rich red within moments of his arrival until finally, the music stopped and his masterpiece complete.

It was _beautiful._

That was what he thought.

* * *

The halls made no noise as that beast made his way through them.

Sweat dribbled down the hidden agent's brow as he saw a shadow pass by the room. He was shaking doing his best not to make a sound.

The officer sitting next to him under the desk was shaking even more. The officer looked to him with fear of remaining his only expression as they heard the door creak open.

Tears now streamed down his own face as he tucked himself behind the file draws in hope that he would not be seen.

A bony hand reached under the desk and pulled out the officer. From the small space between the floor and desk, he could see the officer's feet leave the ground as he pleaded with the monster for his life.

"Please, I have a child. He needs me. They can't make in on his own."

The monster's voice was the most terrifying thing about it all. He was calm, as though he was executing any mundane task. There was only a hint of joy in his voice when he finally made the action. "How tragic. You're perfect." He could hear his boots hit the ground first followed by the rest of the officer.

The shadow finally left the room when the man pushed against the wall, out from under the desk and ran out of the door.

As he ran down the maze of halls he could feel a cold chill behind him at every moment. Sweat nearly blinded his vision as it fell into his eyes.

Left then right, straight then another left. He wasn't sure he could feel the cool night air or the evil presence that was behind his every step. Finally, he could see the faint glow of the moonlit night as he pressed the button beside him, fully opening the bay doors.

The cool air should have felt relieving to him as he now was not confined to tight halls of the base, but he knew that with this cold air, he would no longer be able to sense the presence of his pursuer. He felt a sharp pain in his upper arm just as he had made it to the vehicles.

Opening the door and starting the engine, he looked back to the base to the skinny looking man with a smile on his face as he waved from the distance.

He didn't care what that monster's motives were, he was not going to let him change his mind. He shifted into reverse and got out of there as fast as he could.

* * *

About 50 miles away from the base, he turned on the private communications connected to the radio in hope that one of the other bases might be able to shield him from that thing's wrath.

What he heard, however, was the terrified screams of every officer and soldier fighting for their lives. No matter what location he tried every station was the same. All of them filled with screaming followed by a deafening silence.

He tired the last station available, the W.A. Headquarters. He was relieved to hear normal breathing on the other end. Picking up the microphone, he did his best to compose himself.

He zoomed down the road, keeping a steady pace. "Please, all locations have been slaughtered. You are the only ones left. Please, we have to issue emergency protocol as soon as possible. Our mission has failed but there is still time to rid the world of this monster, once and for all."

The breathing on the other line stopped. "Oh Thomas, why must you resort to calling me these mean names?"

A chill went down his spine. "What do you want?"

His dead voice rang clear over the communication device. "The same thing we all do Tom. Power, and the world on its knees. Do you really think you could escape me... No, I let you go. You're my little messenger boy. Now, go do as you are told and make sure they get it. And let's make this clear: you are the mouse, I'm the cat. And you are all playing my game."

His words come out shaky, but they get out. "Make sure who get's it?"

The communications cut off as two words showed up on the radio.

 _"The world"_

Looking back to the road he, he pushed on the gas as he kept on forward, muttering under his breath. "Dramatic prick."

* * *

About an hour away from Chicago, the fear began to subside as he turned on the radio. "Nations all of the world still have no idea at this time what is the cause of these explosions. It seems that nearly every major city on the planet has been experiencing some sort of catastrophe." Thomas quickly clicked off the radio.

"He did it. That's the message. All of them. He blew up all of them."

* * *

"I just don't know how to say this to you. I mean, it's just not right."

Jazz patted her brother's shoulder, looking back to her chart that she kept for emergency clients that called last minute. "Dan, please, whatever you've been through, you can tell me. I won't make you and you can always do it at your own time, but just know, nothing's too off-putting that you can't tell the family."

He took a deep breath, lying against the fainting chair his parents had bought a few years back."You hit on me, I mean hit on me, hard. Not you, you. but you from another timeline, one where I wasn't born and let me tell you, you were really... Aggressive with it too."

Jazz spaced out looking into the distance, her eyes blue eyes glossed over with ice before she yelled, _"Roy, your wife is in need of a drink!"_

There was no response from her loving husband.

"Honey, where are you?" Jazz got off the couch and walked toward the basement. She looked back to Dan. "I'll be right back we can finish this when I... We'll….. I'll be back." She shivered, trying to get the repulsive thoughts of what an alternate timeline had done, even if she didn't know she was flirting with her brother, it still made Jazz want to puke at the mere thought.

She walked downstairs to see Roy, tinkering with the main computer, his face washed out in white as the screen reflected off of him. "Honey, what are you doing down here? It's really late."

He turned his head for only a moment to acknowledge her presence. "I've been down here for a while trying to figure out this strange bit of data we picked up a week ago."

She closed the distance, coming to stand next to Roy in front of the computer monitors. "Oh, that little blip. I think it's just some natural mineral messing with the sensors."

Doubt was clearly written on his face as he kept his gaze on the screen. "Yeah, I thought that too until I looked up the location and..."

He brought up a map of New York City on screen.

Jazz's back straightened at the unfamiliar sight before her. Subway systems that she hadn't seen before all in weird connections "Okay, that's weird. I would expect subways systems but that looks nothing like them."

He pressed a few keys, accessing another window that was pulled up. "That's not all. I annualized that "mineral" and although it's not listed, I did a global scan for that same mineral and look where it shows up."

Jazz eyes widened in disbelief as the signature on the screen showed up in nearly every major city around the globe. "That's not a coincidence." She pressed a button, causing the screen to go blank. "Do you think it's Vlad?"

Roy shook her head. "No, from what you have told me about him, it doesn't seem his style to be spread out that much. I think he would be more of the person to rule the world from a perch, rather than be among his subjects."

"We have to let people know before something can happen."

"You're right, let's go and-"

 _"Jazz, Roy, get up here!"_

They both ran upstairs to see Dan and their parents huddled around the TV.

The news reporter as shaking, any calm extiorer that she was supposed to have, out the window as she held her microphone. "All around the world, people are fleeing in terror as a chain of massive explosions has rattled the Earth. We are unaware as to what is the cause of these attacks, but we advise people to take haven. As of right now, we are unaware of how many people were caught in the explosion."

Maddie brought a gloved hand to her lips in horror. "Oh my gosh... How can this happen?"

Without notice, they heard a knock at the door as a blond haired man in all white camo looked around nervously on the other side. "Please, let me in."

Dan phased his hand through the door grabbing the man and pulled him in.

His eyes were bloodshot from the lack of sleep from the hours drive. His messy blond locks curled around his face as he fell to his knees. "I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to go!"

Taken aback, Dan distanced himself from the man. "What are you talking about?"

Stumbling to his feet, he moved closer to Dan, a desperate, crazed look in his eyes, "It's Vlad Masters... He stormed our bases, activated the emergency destruct sequence."

"What are you on?"

Roy got off the couch and moved Dan to the side. "You said that he destroyed your bases of operation, where exactly were those?"

In a low voice, he said, "Every major city around the world."

Maddie immediately jumped into action, jumping from the couch."What kind of military has bombs in every major city!"

"The illegal kind. The kind people aren't supposed to know about."

Dan eyed the man suspiciously, wondering what the guy wanted. "Why are you here then?"

"Because I'm the only one left... and I want to help."

* * *

 **I honestly thought I wouldn't get this uploaded on time. Phew.**

 **Anyway, uh-oh, cliffhanger. Let's see what happens next chapter! Sorry that its short.**


	15. Chapter 15: A Shield Around The World

**Ch. 15. Please enjoy**

* * *

" _The world tonight is screaming in terror as the nearly every major city has experienced an attack on its people. Both human and ghost kind are doing their best to help those affected by those caught in the devastation. This is Vicki Vale, reporting on site, in New York City."_

Dan crushed the Man in White against the wall, lifting him up and letting the trapped man's feet dangle just inches above the carpet as Dan's fingers tightly wrapped around the guy's throat as a plasma blade formed around his quivering fist. "Explain, _now!_ Or I'll spill your guts all over the carpet!"

The man gasped for a breath. "We…. couldn't stop him….. He was too…. Powerful."

"I don't give a _damn_ about that. _Who put bombs under the cities!?"_

The guy was clawing at the fingers gripped around his airways, but to no avail, the fingers wouldn't loosen. Color started to slip from his face, a blue twinged overtook him as he was starting to get cut off from oxygen. "The... Winter's Army, better known... as The Guys in White."

Dan dropped him, moving back a few paces to give the guy some space to breathe, but he stayed close enough so he could pounce at any moment if need be.

The blonde hit the ground hard as his lungs filled with air once again. He adjusted his collar that had started to dig into his neck, leaving light red lines across his skin."I never thought they would actually do something like this. I'd been trying to stop them for over a year."

A low guttural growl rumbled in his chest as his lips scrunched apart to reveal two sharp long fangs amongst the normal white teeth. "Keep lying and next time I pick you up, I'll put you through the wall!"

Izzy signed, becoming impatient and yelled to her husband, "Dan, enough! Maybe he can help us."

He could feel her move around behind him— probably pushing herself off the couch— as she scampered near. But that didn't stop his words. "Or maybe, he can place a bomb underneath our feet too!"

Now, Izzy was becoming pissed. "Damn it, Dan. Flame off, now!"

Dan took a series of deep breaths as the flames on his head that he hadn't even noticed, extinguished themselves, as he came down from his adrenaline fulled high. "M'sorry."

Izzy walked up to the man, her liquid eyes holding a firm glass stare. "Listen. Whatever happened, we need to know everything. Secrets codes. Access to locked places. Whatever it takes."

He nodded, mimicking the young woman's face. "Whatever you need, I don't care." His stare moved to Dan. "Just so you know, I wasn't lying. I was trying to stop them."

Dan wasn't convinced. Cold blue eyes locked unto the stranger, and refused to leave. "What are you then? Some sort of government agent?"

His entire face became blushed in embarrassment as he tore his eyes away. "No, I'm a... I'm a computer hacker."

Dan's anger instantly dropped, and was replaced with laughter. "So, you're a nerd who wanted to play spy?"

And, okay. Maybe he shouldn't be messing with this kid so much, but it was fun. Dan just couldn't help himself. Maybe he should loosen up.

Nah.

The guy's defenses were immediately built around him."No, I'm not someone who wanted to play anything, okay?!"

Danny spoke up from his spot on the couch. "Well, then, how did you find out about these guys when we couldn't find a single trace of them for nearly the past ten _years?"_

His face darkened a few more shades of fiery red as his stare traced every item in the room _but_ the family. "I decoded an encrypted message between two people, and it talked about the organization."

Jazz leaned into Roy— the couch cushion shifting with her slight movement— both suspicious as she asked, "Where though? We have our eyes and ears nearly everywhere on social media, the dark web, everything you can imagine."

Sweat pebbled on the bridge of his nose as he scratched at his jawline. "It was on a League of Legends chat."

"You can't be serious."

His back stiffened with annoyance as he crossed his arms over chest. "Hey, most people on there are okay, but there are some shady people on there, too."

Deciding he wasn't much of a threat— especially with three halfa's and a house filled with ghost hunters galore— Dan went to sit back down, pulling Izzy with him and keeping her close, just in case. "Why the hell did they take you in?"

Reframing from, acting childish, he simply answered with, "Because, I can hack into FBI files that the FBI doesn't even know still exist. In my time there, I had read hundreds of secret documents and blueprints but anything I found that was too dangerous to be in their position, I destroyed."

Everyone was silent, taking in his words.

He took the silence as a sign to continue. "I didn't want those maniacs to have any real power. They were all nut-jobs that had messed up ideals. I joined them to make sure they never became an actual threat."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Well, great job. You failed."

It was obvious the stranger wanted to pounce on Dan as he shifted his left leg in front of his right, putting most of his weight on it as he prepared to attack— but he thought better of it last minute. Who was he to stand up to a halfa that was twice his size?

Still, his voice held some bite to it. "Listen! When I heard that Vlad Masters was their next target, I started to download everything I could from their database including an encrypted file from one of Vlad Master's underground labs."

The man took a small USB drive out of his pocket. "Everything on their operations and Intel is on here. I couldn't stop him in time. Please let me help you put an end to this terror."

Izzy looked to the rest of her family before she looked back at him. "You have one chance. Screw it up and we'll hand you to Vlad with a pretty pink bow on your head."

Dan still was weary. "How do we know this guy isn't going to try and hack our files or if he's even telling the truth?"

Maddie hummed as she filed through idea after idea in a matter of seconds in her head, but found nothing of use. "We're going to need someone who is a master at psychological warfare, someone who can break anyone's will and can turn their spirit to dust with a single look."

Izzy smiled. "I know just the person for the job."

* * *

"Yes sweetie, I'm on my way. Please, try to keep calm until I get there. If he sees too many people trying to act out with authority, it will only diminish mine. Please, be safe. I love you."

Jeremy looked over at Pamela, who was at this moment, speeding past cars to the point where others had to come to a screeching halt in order to not get hit by her.

The world around them blurred as she pressed the gas pedal to the floor and his nails dug into the leather of the car seat. "What was that about?"

She smiled, only taking her eyes off of the road— which was a bad idea, in his opinion, but he knew better than to question her— All the while, she kept her hands steady on the wheel. "Well, our Izzy needs me to crush someone into submission."

Jeremy smiled. "Just like our honeymoon."

* * *

Pamela stuttered up the sidewalk and into the house, hips swaying as she walked with head held high and her legs carrying her with confidence.

Upon entering the house, she saw the man Izzy had mentioned sitting on the couch with a laptop open in front of him. She also took note of the horrible stench that floated around. "My gosh, what the heck smells like Mommy's basement." She looked the man deep in his eyes. "Never mind, 'think I found it."

He gave her a sharp look. "Okay, I'm trying to access the files right now. I would appreciate you not belittling me at the moment. And for your information, I don't live in my mom's basement, I live In my Grandma's attic."

Pamela looked over to Maddie. "Mads, why do we have the albino geek squad on your couch?"

"Supposedly, he has files on Vlad and other shady things we could use."

Pamela rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay. Listen here, Poindexter. I don't care who you worked for or how powerful your friends are, I want to get on thing clear: You see that skyscraper of a man over there?" Pamela pointed to Dan, her gaze on trained on the man in front of her. "He's scared— excuse my language— _shitless_ of me. So, do as I say and you'll never find out why."

Dan crossed his arms, an unwavering ground in his posture as he sat. "I'm not scared of you."

She gave a sweetly sick smile, along with a taste of menacing anger dancing in her — usually tame — eyes that would scare anyone. "Sweetie, go to the car and grab my purse before I get irritated."

Dan stood to attention before jogging toward the door. "Yes, ma'am."

As the door clicked shut, she turned her attention back to her task. "Now, as far as you go, once we get those files open, I want to see everything personally."

His eyebrow rose as his eyes ran the length of her highly dressed, obviously wealthy, frame. He had to hold back laughter. She would have no idea how to handle this technology. "These are highly advanced, I doubt someone of your age could figure them out."

Pamela walked over to him, grabbing his laptop and pushed him off of the couch with a delightful thud.

"What the heck was that for!?"

She typed furiously for a good minute, the screen reflecting off of her face, until the laptop made a happy little chirp.

He stumbled to his knees, grasping the end of the couch as he pulled himself to sit. "How the hell! Those files should take hours to decrypt. How in the blue blazes did you do it in less than 5 minutes?"

A knowing smile festered on her lips as she stood up, lifting the laptop with her. "Correction, less than two. And as to how— my family makes millions and while we yes, grandpa did make the toothpick thing, money does eventually go away. Nobody knows quite what we still do to keep the money." Her smile turned sly. "We like keeping it that way."

His face was in disbelief as he asked. "Who the hell are you?"

She pleasantly smiled. "A modern woman with attitude and a great sense of style. Now get typing, nerd." She dropped the laptop on to his... _lap_ as he groaned in pain, the laptop almost slipping from its place as he tried to breathe through the pain.

With his face beaten red from the pain, he glared at her with a sharp gaze. "You're not a nice lady."

"Don't you forget it."

As she got up, Pamela looked out the window to see the town outside. Even after all that had happened, there were kids playing, dogs barking, and people driving to work. It was all so normal. A part of her longed for that, but knew it would never be for her family. It just wasn't who they were anymore.

She walked back to the couch and grabbed the man by his white coat and dragged him to the window. "Outside that window, is my daughter and her daughter. All those kids and all of those families are looking to us to save them and I honestly don't know if we can. So when you told my son-in-law that you want to help us, you damn well better know what that all means. Because if you get scared and bail on us, you aren't just abandoning us."

He realized just how terrifying this woman was in just a few minutes.

Her voice dropped. "This family is responsible for much more than keeping the ghost at bay and right now, we can't afford to lose, not for you, not for me, but for all the people outside that window. So, if you really want to help you better mean it. Because, if you don't, you might as well crawl back up into your grandma's attic and stay out of our way."

He swallowed the spit that surged its way up through his windpipe.

She gave him a firm look. "Are you going to stay?"

He looked outside, seeing life pass them by. "Yes."

Pamela smiled. "Good. Now, get your nerd ass in that basement and get to work."

* * *

Both Pamela and Albino Tom- as they were calling him- were hard at work in the downstairs lab, reading all the files that had been recovered from the former Winter's Army.

He was continuously pressing key after key, messing with the mouse track several times, as he became annoyed with the technology at his hands. "How does anyone work on this thing. It's so slow."

Roy grumpily replied from behind with, "Well, with all the information running through it, as well as all the outside systems we have control over, it's doing it's best."

Tom shook his head as he moved windows from different screens together, adding file after file together. "No... I know this type of hardware, it's the same that we used on our base. It shouldn't be this slow. There has to be some virus program interfering with your systems. If you give me a minute, I think I could find the cause."

After a couple of minutes, a file popped up titled Y.O.R.

He smiled at the sight. "Here we go. Y.O.R., otherwise known as: You're The Hunter. It's a virus inspired by an 80's B movie. The movie's about a hunter trapped in prehistoric times, the virus get's its name because, on an average computer, it would slow it down to that of early 90s speeds. Luckily, because your computer is so advanced, I can reverse it and get all systems back to normal."

Roy looked on in disbelief. "How the heck could a virus enter our systems? We have the best firewalls in the world!"

Tom shrugged, typing up a few codes. "I guess they're not as great as you think. Hold on, I think I have something on the Master's file."

Upon the screen, a number of factories showed up in locations all over the world, creating red reds that seemed connected.

Tom smiled as he finished the coding, a triumph smirk laid across his face at his work as he kicked his feet up on the desk and placed his hands behind his head for support. "Here we go."

Jazz made her way over, jaw unhinged as she gazed at her monitor. "What in the world are those?"

Tom sent her a pointed look. "Conversion factories. They're designed to take in hundreds of people at a time and give them the same abilities as our halfa friends. This was one of the files I had been working on for the past year. I finally cracked it last night and wouldn't you know, a half hour later Vlad Masters finally shows up on our radar after searching for him for three years without a single hint of his whereabouts. I guess the higher up were so worried about his power, that they never realized the connection."

Izzy cut in. "But I don't understand. Wasn't the accident that happened to Vlad and Danny just that, an accident? How would he know if an average person would survive the process?"

There was a worried look on Dan's face upon hearing his wife say those words. "He can't. They can't." All eyes went to the older halfa. "The Vlad from my timeline tried something similar, only he was doing it for less selfish reasons. It was just before I was at the height of my powers and I had made quite the name for myself."

He looked to his feet in shame, anything that brought up his past always made him on edge. He started to fidget with his hands, keeping his trace anywhere but the people he loved.

His voice quivered, but it still carried. "People were tired of living in fear and so they came to Vlad hoping he would have the answer. He told them about his accident and it didn't take long before they tried to replicate it. So many people, tall short, strong weak, no one survived the process for more than a day. Whatever Vlad is doing with those factories their purpose is not to make more halfa's."

Sweat formed around Roy's brow as he pointed out, "Wait, if he has these conversion factories and a numberless amount of followers all around the world, what's to stop him from ordering his minions to go out and round people up to be his next test subjects?"

Maddie spoke up. "You're right and with every major city just attacked, the panicked state would be the perfect time for them to make their move before the police and military could focus on stopping them rather. They're too busy helping the victims of the explosions."

Jazz skipped over to her holographic screens that were used in time of emergency. She brought up a few windows and quickly punched in a few codes. "I think it's time we talk about activating the shields."

Maddie darted over to her daughter, watching as Jazz brought up the activation codes. "You can't be serious, honey. Something like that would take weeks to prepare for. I'm talking about evacuations of smaller towns, people being uprooted for how knows long, let alone food and medical supplies."

Jazz paused her typing, understanding her Mom's worry, but knowing that there wasn't another option. "I know, Mom but we don't have weeks. This has to be done now. We have spent the last three years preparing for a moment like this. So, 'long as let the leaders know, we have the right. This isn't going to get any better until we figure out how to stop Vlad and that's going to take time, time that those people don't have."

Maddie sighed. "Roy... make the call."

* * *

Citizens of the world looked up in shock and horror when mere hours after the attack, they were trapped under a cold shield, one's never asked for. A blue tint covered the cities of the world as the very sun was filtered from the sky.

They were shielded from the monster outside, unaware of the monster that walked among them.

* * *

 **I really hope you enjoyed. Get ready. Cause there's a reason as to why we've seen only one scene per chapter lately. Shits about to go down.**


	16. Chapter 16: Spirals of Truth

**Trigger warning….. Just for this whole chapter. You'll see why.**

" **If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle." -A Series Of Unfortunate Events.**

 **I'm sorry.**

* * *

Terror reigned in the streets as people all over Amity looked up not to see the morning sunrise but to instead see a blue tint overtake their everyday lives.

This was it.

At this moment, Vlad had won. The earth was under a shield of fear and he towered above it.

The entire Fenton family had packed their things and were now bunkered down at Fenton Works HQ, trying to figure out their next step.

When Clockwork had opened the Void, he found nothing. The Balance were gone, not even Clockwork knew where— or how, for that matter— they had gone to. Leaving everyone in anger, and defeat. They were sitting ducks now and they knew it.

Sam walked around Fenton Works as the rest of the family were off, trying to do whatever they could to ease people's minds both in Amity, and around the world.

It was strange, spending so much time back in Fenton Work's, it reminded her of when Danny and she were just friends. Too scared to say how they really felt about each other. So much had changed since the last time she walked around this hall.

Walking up the steps, she could hear something in the upstairs lab. Thinking back, it was the only time she had heard a noise coming from that room was when Jack was eating his hidden snacks.

She cracked the doors open just a peek to see her mother in the plainest dress she had ever seen, singing to the song Country Roads. Sam wasn't sure what to think of the scene when her Grandmother rolled up on her scooter with her finger over her lip, signaling for Sam to keep quiet.

Sam bent down so that she was on the elderly woman level. "Shh. Don't let her see you, otherwise she won't dance for at least a month."

Sam looked at her grandmother with surprise. "How long'ave you known about this…. and how did you get up here?"

Ida looked into the distance remembering something long past. "I used the elevator, deary and ever since she was a little girl. Ever since her father and I told her never to do such things."

Sam could see the look of shame on her grandmothers face. "Grandma, I think you're a little confused. Dad's your son, you know, Jeremy? Not Pamela. "

Ida laughed, "Let me explain, child, I know she's not our biological daughter. I haven't lost my marbles quite yet, sweetie." Ida continued. "You know, we didn't always use to live in Illinois. No, I grew up in the south, and was a beautiful southern bell. I was propper and I was proud, with a very short rebellious stage."

They broke their eye contact to watch Pamela dancing and singing, blissfully unaware of their presence. It was such a beautiful, unscripted moment, that Sam wondered if she was dreaming of how carefree her mother was truly being.

Her grandmother's voice startled her as she continued. "Both your grandfather and I came from money and we were always taught to be on our best behavior and to be civilized. By the time we had your father the company had expanded and we moved up to Amity so that we could be close to Chicago and watch over our companies interest."

Sam watched on as Pamela kicked off her high heels and started to let loose whatever tension she had been holding for the past…. Well, _decades_.

Her grandmother smiled sweetly at the image before them. "Right before that, we lived in a grand southern plantation house and had several helpers to do the chores around the house. Most of the helpers had nothing and would live in the guest house. There was this one woman who was our best helper."

Ida paused in the memories that flooded her eyes."Her name was Samantha Carlie. Sweetest woman you'd ever meet. She had her little girl with her at all times and shared her room in the guest house with her. That little girl was your mother. It was a month before we would move up north and the town we lived in had a major flu outbreak.

That caught Sam off guard. She never knew or understood her mother's stubbornness as to call her Samantha. Even with their relationship having improved over the years, she still insisted every now and then. A pang of guilt hit Sam as she now knew.

A look of sympathy flashed across Ida's face as she pressed on. "Samantha had passed away, but before she did, she begged us to take Pamela as our own. Your grandfather and I were hesitant, but agreed to her dying wish. We didn't think a single moment about your mother or what that meant for her."

Her Mom's song was coming to a close, as was her dance, and she returned to the same old Pamela Manson as she patted the wrinkles out of her clothing and flyaway strands from her hair.

Both grandmother and granddaughter smiled as the unsuspecting woman settled into a seat. "She always loved dancing and sneaking out with boys dancing the night away. But your grandfather and I thought that our image was the most important thing, so we cut her off from that sort of life and taught her how to be good and proper. She hated every moment of it and it shaped her into the woman that you knew while you were growing up."

They both scotched back, out of the room as to give Pamela her privacy.

"When she had you, I saw that same spark of rebellion your mother had and I was going to talk to your mother about giving you the same treatment I gave her, then the unthinkable happened. Your grandpa passed away and without him, I had nothing. The joy in my life seemed to vanish, that was until I saw how you would cause so much trouble for your parents. It reminded me of when I was truly happy and snuck out just like you and your mother before you."

Even with the small amount of guilt that pooled in her stomach, Sam's head buzzed with the new information.

"You had changed me from a bitter old woman to one that greets every new day like a gift. I sat in this chair for years watching you grow to wish that your mother would see what I saw before it was too late, and I had nearly lost all hope that it would happen."

Ida grabbed Sam's hand, softly brushing her hands across the back of it, a small smile playing on her lips.

Their eyes met once more. "Then Danielle walked into our lives and not long after that, I would catch your mother dancing and sing the songs of her childhood. It'ss amazing how youth can give the elderly a better perspective on life. She is happier than I have seen her in the decades. Your daughter has made such an impact on all of. I don't care how powerful this Vlad punk is, he doesn't hold a candle to the woman that can make my Pammy smile again."

And just like that, a light bulb of an idea sparked in Sam's amethyst orbs.

Sam hugged the elderly woman as tight as she could.

"Careful, I think you're going to break something."

Sam couldn't believe they didn't think of this beforehand. It had been right in front of their eyes. They were so blind, the answer as to how to take Vlad down and regain the world's freedom, was there, and they hadn't even realized.

Thankfully, grandma Ida always came though, even when she didn't know it. "You just gave me an idea."

She released her grandmother from the gripping hug, and almost flew out of the room as her legs carried her swiftly away, yelling over her shoulder "Thank you, so much!" to her grandma as she padded down the hallway.

There was strength in love. Love was the _embodiment_ of strength; but in doing so, there was a weakness in opening oneself. A weakness, when loving someone so deeply, no matter how twisted it came out to be could be easily taken advantage of.

Once someone lets someone in, subconsciously or not, it becomes on display for everyone to see. Even if it was a tiny hint of emotion burning deep in their eyes, it would be there, no matter if they acknowledged it or not.

Because in opening oneself— no matter how hard they tried to bury it with years of pain, guilt, remorse, whatever— they subject themselves to anything that came with it, paving a way to be vulnerable to anyone and everyone that knew what their weakness was.

And it hit her, if what the observents in Vlad's mind said was true, and that no one should have been able to access that part of his mind— the vulnerable part, the part where his innocents still lurked in the little five-year-old kid— then maybe they had his weakness already in hand.

Danielle was Vlad's weakness

* * *

Sam ran downstairs all the way to the basement lab. She ran up the computer and pressed the button relaying to everyone's com unit. "I need everyone back here in an hour. I think we might have something."

In less than an hour, every member of Team Phantom had returned to HQ.

Sam looked at Roy "I need Tony and you to go keep an eye on the city, we'll fill you in later. Now, we can't have our eyes away from things for too long. Jazz you and Roy have been working on the Spector Protectors, do you think they're able to pass through the shields multiple times?"

Pulling out a touchpad, Jazz quickly brought up a hologram, showing the complete stats of the device. "Yes, we finished them last week."

"Good. Now, I know the Balance plan didn't work out and we can't afford to try the whole plan of the week thing we did with Dan. Either we finish this now or Vlad has complete control. Dani Sweety, the last time you went into Vlad's mind you took control near the end. I know what I'm asking for is a lot, but I know you can to it.

We all know Vlad's strength is something otherworldly but with all that strength he has one weakness and that's you. In some twisted way, he feels safe with you to the point that you were able to see that deep into his subconscious. If we could get you close enough to overshadow like Lilith did with Dan, you might be able to overtake him and trap him inside his own mind."

The entire team looked to Danielle with the first bit of hope they truly had in weeks. But it didn't reassure Danielle any. It only brought her fears front and center. "How do you know I can do it? I mean, I barely got out of that freaks mind the last time."

Sam softly grasped her daughters face, a firm loving gaze boarding into her daughters baby blues as she tried to lessen her daughter's qualms. "Well for starters, you won't be alone. You'll have the entire family backing you and keeping him occupied. Once you're in, we're gonna give him hell like he's never seen before. We'll figure out the rest later. But for now, let's just try and keep an eye out for anything else that might go wrong."

As everyone went their own way, Jazz stopped Sam before she could go to her room. "Out of curiosity, why'd you have Roy guard Tony and not Dan?"

"Because Roy know's if he's altering something that should not be altered and Dan's intimidating but I think we both know computers have never been the Dannys' strong suits."

* * *

Once she was sheltered in her temporary bedroom— away from prying eyes— and seated on her own bed, Danielle ripped her cell phone from her jean pocket in serious haste as she typed on her phone.

 _Lilly please I need you. This is important._

Sent.

No response.

 _This plan isn't going to work. Please, just this once break the rules and help us._

Sent.

No response.

 _This is when it happens, isn't it? This is where Roy dies._

Sent.

No response.

 _Damn it, Lilith. Answer!_

Sent.

No response.

 _I can't do this, knowing I'm the reason he dies._

Sent.

No response.

Tears were streaming Danielle's face as she blindly pushed at her keypad. _Please, Lilly. We need you. I need you._

Sent.

A ding. Finally.

 _"I love you, big sis. I'm sorry."_

Danielle looked at the phone for a mere moment before she threw it against the wall with all her strength, the pieces of metal and glass splattered apart, leaving a dent in the wall as well that would for sure cause a stern talking to— even though she was twenty-two.

Danielle's face glazed over with anger and determination."I'm so tired of losing. So, you know what Lilith? Just this once, _fuck_ timelines, _fuck_ fixed points, and _fuck_ you, Vlad!"

Danielle flew down the stairs to see everyone except Roy and Tony waiting for her at the bottom.

Her Dad looked her once-over, eyes screaming with worry, "We heard something break. You okay?"

She smiled. "Never better. Now, this plan. Let's get this down."

After everything was explained, Danielle scampered over to Jazz and gave her a hug that lifted the taller woman off ground.

Jazz looked to her nice with a mask of confusion as she was set back on the ground."What was that for?"

"It's for changing the future." With that, Danielle walked out of the room to prepare for what came next.

Tucker looked to the group, confused, his eyes going between Danny and Sam and the door where his girlfriend had just existed.

Sam looked at Danny, sarcasm etched on her face. Her amethyst eyes glowing with playfulness. "She gets that dramatic BS from you."

* * *

Roy was a patient man. He really was, but if this Tony kid wouldn't get his greasy hands of his equipment, he was gonna lose it. "No, you're doing it wrong, you can't just put in a new program and expect the others to just adapt to it, you gotta configure the others to the new code!" He swatted the guys hands away, to invested in his computer to have it ruined by someone that didn't know what they were doing.

Tony glared at Roy, his eyes burning with anger as he dropped his hands from the keyboard. "Listen, I've hacked into all the major governments of the world, I think I know how to do this."

"You couldn't install Minecraft without a guide, you hack!"

Becoming fed up with Roy's behavior, Tony left his post and started to march upstairs."You know what, I'm gonna raid your families fridge! Enjoy installing it wrong!"

Without taking his eyes off the screens in front of him, Roy called out, "If you touch my string cheese, I _will_ sic Dan on you!"

As the laboratory door slammed shut, Roy stood up as the screen illuminated his frustration riddled face. He had come so far to figure out his next step, yet how he would obtain it he didn't know.

* * *

The glow of the shield surrounded the faded silhouette of Vlad Plasmius as he looked down upon Amity with disdain. The home of his greatest defeat and his mortal enemy. By the time this was done, it would be nothing but a pile of dust.

The thought brought a smile to his face.

* * *

With night once again overtaking the sky, the city was covered in an unnatural blue glow that illuminated the streets. It was like this all over the world. People living in fear inside their little bubbles, waiting for an all clear they didn't truly know would ever come. There had been dark times before but it was never like this.

The Cujo twins had been on edge ever since the move to Fenton works. The family had been working around the clock to find any leads on what atrocity Vlad might commit next. They were still trying to figure out the rest of the plan, but for the moment it was silent as the family slept.

Downstairs, Jazz could hear a shuffling as one of the Cujos ran around the house. She rolled over to notice that Roy once again had left in the middle of the night. No doubt, working on tracking that monster. However hard he worked she knew at the end of the day no matter how short she would be wrapped in his loving arms.

She saw the clock glowing an angry red, as it read 3:15 in the morning. "Heck with this. If he's gonna be burning the midnight oil, I might as well, too." Pulling back the covers, she slipped into her robe. Exiting her room, Jazz crept down the stairs, keeping her steps light as to not wake the rest of her family.

Upon making it to the living room, she moved around the furniture to get to the basement door and heard the Corgi Cujo making a small growling noise at the lab door again. She patted his head to try to calm him, but to no avail.

She sighed, wanting to calm the little creature, but knew that it was near impossible with everything going on. "I know buddy, we're all on edge."

Jazz walked past and opened the door. Cujo's growl now turned whimper as he edged away from the door.

Keeping on the tips of her toes, Jazz slipped through the door. She saw her husband on the wall monitor, working on something her hazy night eyes could not make out. Rubbing her eyes, she gave him a smile and a tap on the shoulder as to make him aware of her presence.

Roy jumped, startled by her touch. His eyes split apart, growing on his face in unexplainable fear. His voice rose a couple of octave with shakiness as he spoke. "Sweetie, I…. didn't hear you come ...in."

Ignoring his weird behavior, she leaned down to press a sound kiss to the top of his head. "Well, I wanted to surprise you. So, what are you working on so late?" She placed her hands onto his shoulder, rubbing small circles into the knots that riddled his back.

Jazz's eyes finally adjusted to see a map of the world with all the protected cities highlighted. Everything was normal except for one thing.

The shields were _deadlocked._

Taking her hands away from his shoulders, Jazz kept her voice steady, along with her footing. Maybe she was thinking too much."Roy, why are the shields deadlocked? This is only temporary until we find Vlad. If we keep people in for that long, they'll begin to starve or run out of medical supplies."

The look on Roy's face was serious and gave no room for doubt or question when saying his next words. "It's what's best for them."

She jumped back as if she had been struck with a hot iron to her face. "What!"

"They don't know what they need, otherwise they would be able to protect themselves instead of having to rely on their _heroes._

"Roy, you're beginning to scare me." Roy gave Jazz a twisted smile as he walked closer to his beloved.

"Why? Because I'm telling the truth? They're nothing just insignificant specs that when returned to the ground will have no impact on this tiny rock."

Her mouth dropped in shock as she took a few steps back as to put some space between them. This wasn't her husband, it couldn't be. "What the hell is wrong with you?! _Danny, Roy's been overshadowed._

He grabbed her wrist as tight as he could. His hands felt bony and cold.

This was not an overshadow.

When he spoke, his voice crackled with an aged melody to his words. "You have your mother's hair, but not her eyes. What a shame. It was the one thing I could never stand about you. You have your idiot father's eyes!"

She struggled to escape his piercing grip, trying to get to her weapons. But they were just out of her reach on the tables off to her left.

He laughed, a deep, menacing sound that left his lips and sent shivers down her spine and made her want to vomit. "You didn't think you could escape so easily, did you?"

 _"Dad! Danny!_

"Why couldn't you just stay in bed and leave well enough alone!"

His face became pale blue as the skin began to sag, melting away from his bones, his hair started to fall from his head, his usually warm brown eyes sunk within his face and darkened one shade after another, before they became _nothing_ but an empty abyss.

That was all she could focus on from then forth. His eyes were the only thing she could see.

She could hear his words, but they didn't make any connections in her head as her brain slowly fell into shock. "All this effort concealing my true body! Infiltrating your family! _And all you had to do was stay in bed!"_

She fell on her back— the hard think of her butt meeting the tile floor brought her back to the present— to see the withered corpse of Vlad Masters standing before her in her husband's place.

* * *

 **Lilith never did say what "happened" to Roy.**

 **I'm sorry.**


	17. Chapter 17: Easy Hello, Hard Goodbye

**This chapter hurt to write. Bring tissues. Also, IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. I have family coming up, so the next chapter will be delayed a week. I'm so sorry. Triger warning for.. death**

* * *

"You arrogant _fools!_ You don't know anything about _pain and suffering._ For fifty years, I was chained and beaten senseless; only thinking of the moment I would get to snap your necks."

With any hope of being heard, hope lost, Jazz pushed herself into a corner, with tears soaking the skin of her face. "I loved you, you monster!"

His twisted smile became twice as wide as he looked down on her. The light from the computer screen behind him casting a white shadow on around his silhouette. "I know."

 _"Why!?"_

"There are several reasons, but the one I love the most is simple. I wanted to hurt you all in a way that would never heal."

From some divine intervention, Maddie came running down the steps, ecto rifle in hand, to see Vlad Masters standing in front of her daughter, dawned in the clothes of her daughter's husband. She didn't even have time to register the scene in front of her before she yelled, "Get out of our house, you ghost freak!"

Maddie came charging toward him, only to be cut short with a shot in the leg from a beam of plasma.

The pain hit instantly, exploding in her leg and throughout the length of her calf and thigh. As she stumbled to the ground, she screamed in pain as she fought to right herself back on to her feet. Another beam struck her shoulder, and then her other leg. Soon, standing became impossible with her strength draining from her lower half, her legs crumbled beneath her as she hit the ground, hard.

With her ecto rifle clattering to the ground with her, sliding just out of her reach.

Upon seeing his beloved powerless on the chill tile floor, almost breathless from pain and coated with a cold sweat, Vlad let loose a low ear piercing growl. "I've shown mercy on you, my love. But this is where it ends. This time, my hand cannot be stilled. I'm sorry for the choices you made."

Aiming his hand at her, a single tear fell from his eye. "I love you, Maddie, I always will."

The rage was illuminated in her face as the plasma began to form around Vlad's hand. "You were always a creep!"

Just as the plasma was about to leave his hand, a great yell filled the room as Vlad's hand severs from his arm. A black mist flowing from the wound.

Vlad grasped at his stump looking, for his assailant— only to see Pamela Manson standing before him, wielding the Fright Knight's sword and a glare that would make both Dan and Skul-tech quiver in their boots.

Without turning her back from the ghost in front of her— sword lifted and ready to strike if need be, Pamela yelled back to the young woman on the floor. "Jazz, get Mads out of here, _now!"_

When she didn't hear the shuffles of the two moving to make their escape, Pamela gave a quick glance at Jazz to see the soul drained from her eyes.

Thinking fast, she slashed the control panel on her left— the control panel lit up with an array of different colors, blasting the room with light— activating the house wide alarm, rousing everyone from their sleep. "Leave, now! Last chance!"

The flames in his eyes let no anger escape through the tremendous pain. He raised his remaining hand as it began to glow. The blade began to form when Vlad heard thundering footsteps run toward him.

Dan's heavy footsteps broke through the screeching of the alarm and grew louder as he came almost flying down the basement steps and made an impact with the withered man holding him as tight as he could. _"Ghost portal, now!"_

Pamela pressed the control panel, hoping she didn't destroy the portal controls with her strike.

Green sparks begin to form as Vlad struggled to break free of Dan's forceful embrace.

The portal finally formed, the green light bathing every inch of the room as Dan ran full speed into the portal with Vlad in his grip.

Moments later, Dan stumbled out, with a large cut across his face, clothed in ecto radiation as his own shoulders looked as if they couldn't hold themselves up any longer. Craning his neck up, his dim emerald eyes went straight for Pamela. _"Close it, now!"_

Pamela once again slashed the panel, forcing the room to return to its normal steel grey color as the panel controls died down as well.

* * *

Jazz looked at the ground with every motion and emotion stolen from her body. The world around her faded into nothing. No sound, no feeling, nothing remained in her world. In the far distance, she thought she could hear the voice of her mother as she rises off the ground outside of her own will.

Looking down, she saw the faded image of her mother's hands wrap around her. The only feeling she had to her body were her eyes, desperately trying to close her into the darkness she already felt.

Without being prompted, she began to numbly crawl on her feet. Upon unsteady soles, she tumbled forward as her legs move without command and threatened to break from underneath her at any given moment.

The room was filled with the faded silhouettes of her family, all trying to embrace her but to no avail, her only guide was that of the kitchen light that swallowed the entryway of the kitchen door.

The door closed behind her without a sound as the lack of feeling when ascending the steps only pulled her further from reality. Lights flashed blindingly from the television as she began to strip the articles of clothing she had been wearing, leaving them where they lie.

She heard the faint closing of a door when she reached the upstairs washroom, not being able to connect in her brain that _she_ was the one that had closed the door.

Entering the dark void, she cared not to turn on the light and tripped into the shower, catching the shower hand as she fell to the floor, making it as hot as she could in hope of feeling any form of sensation. The water poured down on her as the beads of liquid glided off her skin, giving no relief to the hollow woman who sat on the shower floor.

* * *

At twenty-four years of age, Lilith thought she had seen all there was to life. That there was nothing more to surprise her. But as she looked upon the orb, she gazed at it with pain in her eyes. It was in motion and she knew what came next.

Clockwork stood next to her, a look of sympathy swede on his pale blue face. "I'll take the next watch. Go, be with your family. It will help."

Before Lilith could object, she felt a gust of wind enter the airtight room. She whipped around and was met with the electrical green eyes of her 21-year-old brother. "DJ, what're you doing here?"

A large grin was plastered on his face. "What else? I'm here to bug you….. and swipe your phone." He grabbed the phone from one of the many tables and ran off in a gust of wind. "I'm out of minutes on mine!"

She could hear the door slam as she desperately wanted to follow him. Her eyes desperately locked on the door as her arm was stretched sightly out in front of her, as if she had wanted to grip his collar and not let him leave. Her hands only grasped the dust of air that he left.

Clockwork quickly placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping Lilith in place. "This cannot be changed and you know what is about to happen. Please, be with them, they need you and you will need them."

Lilith looked to her shoes in defeat. "I was there. I remember it in my dreams. No parent should have to live through what they will that night."

"That is exactly why they need you."

* * *

"Jazz... Jazz are you in there?"

Danielle heard nothing but the sound of water crashing to the granite floor.

"Aunt Jazz, please."

Danielle transformed into her ghost form. "I'm coming in!"

She phased through the door to be greeted by a room of black and steam. The shower door hung opened, her aunt had not cared to close it as she fell into it. Out of respect, Danielle didn't illuminate the room in any way. Instead, she sat on the ground and listened for her aunt's breath.

It was faint but she could hear it along with a faint sob. Danielle moved over to the shower and placed a hand on her shoulder. The water from above them mixing in with her tears as the heat from the water left scarred marks. She sat completely still, only moving slightly when taking unwanted breaths.

Danielle couldn't see her but she knew this was not the aunt she knew. She was bright and vibrant, filled with joy and life, even if it was a little too well organized at times but what sat next to Danielle was not that. She was a husk of that amazing woman, deceived and tainted.

The smell of Roy's cologne still lingered from the cloths Jazz had left on the ground. The smell of him was nauseating.

Danielle reached for the soap and began to wash what remained of her aunt, not caring one bit as the water started to soak her clothing.

Upon her touch, she didn't feel Jazz flinch but instead, she saw a faint glow of light as Jazz shifted her gaze to her. Danielle knew deep down Jazz could wash herself an endlessly but she would never be able to rid of what had been done to her.

There was nothing that could undo the pain.

Word's were meaningless, worth less than shit at this moment.

They would not be able to put back together the brokeness occupied the room, that occupied Jazz.

While she knew cleaning her wouldn't solve it either, Danielle knew— and understood to a point— how Jazz at least wanted the claim Vlad had taken over her, to be washed away.

Even as Danielle moved her aunts limbs to help clean, it was a heavy task, as the older woman was nothing more than dead weight, and it broke Danielle's heart to see Jazz's mind heavily crowned with jewels of guilt, anger, self-loathing as she saw everything that had happened thus far, her own fault for falling for the ghost's tricks.

And while the soap wouldn't wash away the pain, hell, it wouldn't wash away his touch. It'd be there in Jazz's mind for a while, she would be the one who would have to be the one to wash it away from her mind, it was something that she could control.

But it was something that she needed in that moment. Danielle knew Jazz wanted to watch as the foam from the soap carried Vlad's touch down the drain— even if it truly didn't.

Danielle was created by that monster and now he had taken far more than just her childhood. He had stolen something that her Aunt could never get back and for that, there could be no pardon.

Danielle turned the water off, letting an empty silence take over for a few minutes. Grabbing a towel, she threw it carefully over Jazz's body to keep her from getting cold. "Aunt Jazz, I gotta go now but please, know that I love you and that we all love you. I'm gonna stay here until Grandma comes. I love you." Danielle walked over and unlocked the door.

After a few minutes, Maddie came into the room, exposing the light on to Jazz as she flicked the switch. Her look of anguish was something Danielle had never seen in her entire life. Maddie looked to Danielle as her electric green eyes had ignited into heated emrald flames.

They said nothing in their exchange. Words had lost their use. Danielle wasted no time when departing from her aunt.

Putting on the spectator protector, she rose off the ground and phased through the ceiling. Looking above just outside of the shield. She pressed the center of the belt and before she knew it, stood in front of the monster far above and away from the heroes below.

A smile grew on his lips as he his eyes caught sight of her. "Hello, my daughter. Have you come to save my soul?"

"No."

"You seem a little perturbed, is everything alright with the family? I hear Uncle Roy seemed to have a little slip-up. I sure hope Jazz is feeling well. I would hate to have my beloved wife be sad."

There was only silence from Danielle.

A small chuckle left his lips. "How cute. The silent treatment."

Midnight clouds had begun to take over the sky, cloaking it and darkened the moon. "Looks like there's a storm coming. You better take cover. I would hate to see my daughter catch a cold."

Lightning began to strike the ground below and even hit the shield, creating an ear-piercing screech. The electricity rebounded and created an orb around the two. The air was electrified and quickly grew stale. The pressure grew beyond painful as Vlad could feel his body fall in upon itself.

His face contorted as he looked to Danielle in confusion. She never broke her gaze, not even to blink. The pressure was soon relieved. When he felt the pull of a thousand suns rip him apart only to be put back together again.

Her fiery emerald eyes never leaving him.

He felt as the flesh melted from his bone.

There was no smile on her face. There was nothing but contempt.

Soon, he could feel his nerves and muscle return only to have them frozen and shatter into a million pieces. "Are you proud of yourself, hero!? What would your father say?!"

Her silence finally broke. "My dad isn't with us. He's where he should be, with the heroes. There're no heroes here, just you and me."

* * *

DJ ran through the city limits and stopped by Nana's house to see what goodies she had for him to grab before going on his next patrol. "Hey SpeedShit, I have a dutch apple pie that just came out of the oven but with your speed, it should cool off by the time you get back home."

DJ grabbed the pie and gave his Nana a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Nana. I'll make sure to save you a piece." DJ took off, leaving every paper in Pamela's kitchen flying in the air.

She smiled. "Little shit."

As DJ reached the edge of the city he took out his phone to text his friends when he noticed that there was a text from Danielle still open. He looked down at the phone in disgust. While he knew what Lilith did was a necessity for some cases he would never enjoy it.

Leaving people to their fate was never something he could accept.

Running back to Fenton Works, he jumped into the ghost portal and within moment's, was at Clockworks castle. He searched frantically for a time medallion but eventually found one.

The world around him blurred as white consumed his vision.

* * *

Maddie remained with Jazz as the rest of the Fentons and Manson's ran out into the streets to see where Danielle had gone off to.

Jack cupped his hands over his mouth and screamed as loud as he could. "Danielle!"

Mirroring the older man, Tucker yelled, "Honey!"

Dan and Danny transformed and took to the air in order to see if they could find her better with a birds-eye-view.

When they reached the top of the shield they heard a faint screaming. Looking up they saw Vlad screaming a squirming in unimaginable pain.

Confused as to what was going on, Danny looked to Dan. "What's happening to him?!"

Dan looked up with a mixture of worry and shame. "Your daughter is happening to him." Dan pressed the center of his belt, activating the protector. "I'm not looking forward to this reunion."

* * *

Vlad looked upon the face of his tormentor once more. He was in agonizing pain, as he experienced the worst the human mind could contemplate.

Her fiery eyes now wore a smile under them. "They told me to trap you inside your mind so you could live out the rest of your days, never hurting anyone else! But you know what I'm gonna do instead? Turn the rest of your existence into an endless living hell!"

The pain resumed as Vlad felt sharp pain covering every inch of him.

"You don't deserve mercy! You don't deserve sanctuary! You deserve the pain you inflicted on to others! Everything you have done to my family! To me! To _Jazz_! _You'll never be redeemed!"_

"Stop, Dani!"

Danielle turned to see her Uncle Dan, floating with them in the entanglement of Vlad's mind. Obvious worry littered in his eyes. "Go away, Dan. We're not finished yet!"

"Yes, you are!" Dan grabbed her arm.

She looked at him, the pain on his face clear to see. She tried to pull back, but his hold was far too tight to be released. "He's gotta pay!"

The silent plea in his iris begged her to stop. "I know but not by you. Please, don't go down that path. Trust me, it's not for you."

The moment was interrupted when Vlad broke free of his mental bonds and cast Dan out of his mind and body.

"Hello, daughter. Now it's my turn to play."

* * *

Dan fell toward the shield, pressing his protector just in time to phase through. He quickly reached the ground where the rest of his family had been waiting.

Sam pushed past everyone, her eyes going between Vlad and Dan, searching for her daughter. For any sign of her at all. "How'd it go?"

They looked up to see Danielle descend through the shields, arms open wide in a dramatic pose.

They knew something wasn't right but everyone lost their breath when Vlad released his hold on Danielle as she fell from the sky and Vlad flew above them in triumph. "That was a nice belt she had there. Don't worry about the hand, it's healing quite nicely. But you thought you could actually take me down. You thought you could get inside my mind and mess around, well you thought wrong."

Danny ran as fast as could, making sure to catch Danielle before she hit the ground, cradling the overgrown woman like a small child in his arms.

He floated down, a menacing shadow over them all. "You are all fools for even thinking you can hold a candle to my superiority. I will crush you under my boots like the insects you are! You are nothing but imitators copying off of my greatness! I will kill you all and then take my place as this world's glorious ruler, where the name Fanton will never be uttered ever aga..."

Vlad was blasted through one of the nearby buildings, causing the hard rubble to break his fall as he slowly slid to the frown, smoky grey ash and soot-stained his skin and hair. Looking up with dazed eyes, he stuttered out, "Who dares interrupt my greatne..."

He was hit mid-sentence once more, as DJ appeared where Vlad had just been standing just seconds prior. A smug smirk dancing on his lips.

"You know, I really have to agree with Uncle Dan." He cracked his knuckles and neck and zoomed to Vlad, too fast for the eyes to see, knocking him high into the air and enjoyed the way he flew high above them. "I hate monologuing."

"You insolent, child. I will wipe you from existence!"

DJ smiled as the world around him slowed to a fraction of a crawl in front of him. "Time to work for a living."

DJ ran up the building nearest to Vlad in less than a moment He knocked him out of the sky, making him fly toward one of the residences of Amity. Before he could make an impact to the two-story house, DJ ran in front and punched him away from the local family as Vlad went sailing like the ragdoll Dj was making of him.

The Fenton and Manson watched empty skies as sonic booms erupted from the sheer speed of DJ changing directions every time he had hit Vlad.

Sam looked at Danielle with her jaw dropped. "So, he said that you were picking on him... I'm gonna have'ta ask you to stop that."

Danielle was in awe of her baby brothers powers. Nervousness ate at her words as she agreed with her mom. "Yeah, you don't have to tell me twice."

Vlad hit the ground in extreme pain as DJ finally had stopped his barrage of punches. He ran as fast as he could to make sure he got as much did distance from Vlad as he possible, before he got up from his wounds. The sound of a sonic boom echoed as he left the limits of the city. Vlad stumbled upright, almost unable to move. "Yeah, you better keep running."

DJ had reached the Kansas state line when he turned back around.

Vlad began to levitate once more, looking down on his remaining enemies, pain filling every nerve of his decaying body. "Now that the annoyance has turned tail, how about I finally deal with the rest of you!"

Suddenly, from behind Vlad, the team heard an eardrum-shattering screech as the windows in the city shattered. In the blink of an eye, Vlad was gone as a creator took his place. The team looked back to see what looked like a shooting star leaving the atmosphere.

Looking back in the crater, they saw DJ shaking his glowing red hand as he fell on his back out of pure exhaustion. "See you later, rocket man."

DJ began shaking his ecto covered hand as he shook off bits of Vlad he had collected from his attack. "Ugh, that's so gross!"

Danielle looked to her future little brother, Tucker and Dan went to help get the twenty-one-year-old out of the crater. "What the heck DJ? How'd you get here?

Scampering near his older sister with painful steps, all the while, trying to catch his breath, DJ said to them. "Borrowed Lilith's phone, saw your text, stoled a time medallion, and I came here to help."

She smiled, and slapped him on the back, flinching out of guilt as he flinched out of pain. "Well, it's needed."

Danny had still been holding Danielle as she had not yet regained full use of her body. "Let's get inside. We all know that didn't take him down entirely."

 _"Too late!"_

Vlad stood before them charred and still smoking. Burns covered every inch of him yet as always he began to reform. _"You are all nothing! Insignificant specs in an uneventful world! I will be remembered forever!"_

Vlad lunged at them with a plasma blade forming around his hand. The world once again slowed to a crawl.

DJ could see the world around him nearly stand still as he once again ran toward Vlad. He was no match for his speed and they both knew it. As DJ got close, he thought he saw Vlad's eyes adjust to him. He reared back his arm ready to knock this fool around some more, when the unthinkable happened.

Vlad had phased through DJ at just the right time so that he could not phase himself to catch him. The monster had figured out his pattern and predicted his moves perfectly.

DJ tried to turn but at the speed, he was going it took him far away from Vlad and his family. Finally, as his feet skid against the pavement, he could see Vlad getting closer and closer to them.

His rage set on Danielle, who was still being held by their dad.

DJ ran as fast as he could but he could not pick up enough speed to reach Vlad in time.

And with the world nearly at a standstill, DJ watch helplessly as Pamela ran in front of Danny and Danielle, just in time to save them but at a cost.

The ground below Pamela's feet was pooled in her blood. As Vlad removed the blade from her, Danielle lept from her dad's hold and caught her grandmother before she could hit the concrete.

DJ had finally reached Vlad pressing his body against the pavement as he dragged the monster on the pavement leaving a trail of Vlad behind. He lifted him up and threw him at the shield. Electricity coursed through his body as he twitched in pain. Finally, he fell to the ground and looked up at the young halfa with a smile.

"Nice try." The Vlad had dissolved into a puddle of ecto as DJ looked outside the shield to see hundreds of Vlad's surrounding the shield. He quickly ran back to his family. Every member standing around Pamela as Danielle held Pamela in her arms.

"Danielle, Danielle. Look at me, sweetie." She grabbed Danielle's face with light, chilling fingers, forcing the young woman to look at her. "This world has darkness in it, don't let it change you. I see so much light in you. They're gonna tell you who you are…. Who you're supposed to be to them. Don't let 'em do that."

Her warm watery blues darkened into cold glass, as tears spilled over as she tried to put pressure on the wound and keep her nana in her arms. "No, no, you're saying goodbye. Stop it, you're gonna be fine. We're going to get you help. We can get Lilith here and she can fix you. _Lilith! Lilith!"_

She smiled, brushing her granddaughter's hair out of the way. "Don't lose that fire that I love so much."

The words burned as they scratched at her throat. "Nana, please!"

Danielle could see the life draining from Pamela. "It's okay. I'm happy. I am so happy because of you. Whatever you do you will be great, just like your mother. Please know I won't leave you. I spent so much time hating my life... now that I have you, I just want to hold on a little longer. Sam, Danny, you watch out for her."

The blood that saturated her fingers stung at her nostrils. It was a horrible smell. "Please. Please don't go, Nanna. I can't lose you."

Her words were forced, but somehow, she coughed them out. "You know what, that's what I'll do, one last gift, I'll give you back the stars. Make sure the next time she sees a shooting star you better not flip it off because from now on when you see one, that's me and just because I'll be gone, doesn't mean you can disrespect me like that. "

"Mom, please don't!"

Pamela smiled s she looked to her daughter. "I love hearing you say that word." She looked back to her granddaughter. "Thank you."

And with one last breath that passed through her lips, she was gone.

* * *

Danny walked over to the edge of town, staring outside the shield to the hundreds of Vlad's that surrounded it. "Oh Daniel, that was so touching. Tell me, do you think she will get the oscar or will she be snuffed by someone who actually deserves it?"

Danny looked at Vlad as he did his best to remain calm. "You'll pay for that."

He brought his hands up, mockingly shake them as if he was scared. "Ooh, looks like she already has some competition. That is, if you were actually threatening. No, if anyone is going to have the spotlight on them, it's going to be me and I'm not going to have some pouty brat fighting me while he is blinded by tears. But that will come later. No. I want something more. I want my legacy to last and want to share my rule with someone who I can trust. After all, who more can you trust than family."

"She'll never join you. You're nothing to her!"

Vlad growled. "I am her creator! I brought her into this world from nothing! I should be a god to her!"

Holding back a snarl that threatened to spill over, Danny said, "Hate to tell you this Vlad, but she ain't answering when you knock on the door! So, leave, or you're not gonna be happy when someone finally does answer it."

He took a deep breath trying to maintain his calm. "Five days. Daniel. I will give you 1 to grief, the second for a funeral, third for the last bonding nonsense you will have with her. Fourth to make up her mind, and the fifth to prove to me that she is yet the creation of my hand. Enjoy the time you have left, Daniel. It won't be long. And if she doesn't, I promise, her dear grandmother's death will be only the start of a long bloodbath for your entire family. It's her choice."

* * *

 **I'm so sorry, but she really is dead. Trust me, it was a hard scene to write.**

 **See you guys on Tuesday. Love you all!**

 **P.S. The part where DJ visited his nana, was in the future, and she really is dead, but how she was alive at that moment will be explained in the next chapter-it has something to do with timelines and that fun stuff— but please trust me when I say: She's unfortunately, gone, and it hurt like hell to write.**


	18. Chapter 18: The Five Stages Of Grief

**The title of this chapter is 'The five stages of Grief' and it's for obvious reasons. This chapter deals with the concept of losing someone close to you and for those who have not had this happen to them, it is a feeling that is indescribable. That being said if anyone who has lost some is reading this right now please know that it will dive into the darker thoughts one might have during such a time. Both my Husband and I take this matter very seriously and as always if anyone of our readers is feeling helpless during something similar we urge you to connect with someone you love or even someone who is just willing to listen. While it is hard losing someone there are people out there who are willing to help. No one should have to go through this sort of thing alone. That being said, thank you and enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

With the night time air cooling the heated summer day down to a crisp cool evening, all was quiet. The town of Amity was peacefully quiet— drowned in a normal night's sleep.

Danielle was in the living room, planted on the worn blue couch that sat in her grandparents living room, with a smile on her face and a newborn in her arms. The smile on her face brought a cold warmth to Lilith's heart. It was the two anniversary of the passing that took place all those years ago.

Lilith remembered as he stumbled out of the portal into their living room as the plasma blade stuck in his chest faded to into oblivion as their mother and father watched helplessly as the light had faded from their son's eyes. Lilith walked over to see the dazzling blue eyes of her baby niece. Danielle Junior or DJ, for short.

"How is she?"

Danielle gave a genuine tired smile that easily reached her eyes as she slowly swayed the baby in her arms. "Restless like always, but I think Tuck and I can handle her."

As she looked into the child's eyes, a wave of great despair hit Lilith as the world around her suddenly went black. Images flashed through her mind's eye. Things that should never have been.

Out of nowhere, Lilith awoke to hear the baby crying, not having remembered falling asleep in the first place.

Danielle stood above her sister while Tucker held their child safe and sound.

Lifting herself off the ground Lilith searched frantically for the cause of her attack, almost knocking Danielle over in the process. As she glanced back at her sister with no babe cradled in her arms her entire body nearly crumbled with worry. "Is she okay?!"

Danielle looked at Lilith, completely confused. "Who?"

"What do you mean, who? DJ! Didn't you two feel that?"

Danielle's eyebrows shot up in question, a small frown settled on her lips as she brushed her hand along Lilith's cheek to check for any signs of sickness. Danielle quickly wrapped her arms around her sister as she moved both of them to the couch. "Lilly, you're starting to freak me out. No one felt anything. You just passed out and DJ is still in LA."

"Not funny, sis! Just check on my niece!"

Danielle was taken aback as her eyes searched desperately every inch of Lilith's face, "I'm telling you, everyone is okay, and Pamela is _fine!"_

That was when she took notice of the babe that was tucked safely in Tucker's arms. Lilith froze as she realized what the wave was that hit her, her eyes widening as the fear took hold.

"I have to go!"

* * *

The world stood still as DJ looked upon his sister holding Pamela's dead body. Tears streamed down his eyes as the wrinkles on his face threatened never to leave, imprinting themselves forever into his skin.

As he stood still for the first time, he could remember his mother looked at him, the horror and sadness reflected in her eyes. He turned to see his father standing on the edge of town.

At the realization of what all had happened, DJ let a rage-filled scream echoed through the shielded town as he rushed toward the monsters outside the shield.

It took not half a moment for him to reach the barrier when the white light overtook his vision. Leaving the timeline without his permission. _"No!_

* * *

The wind gusted through Clockworks observatory. A knowing and relieved smile spreading on his face as he looked to his equal who was covered in blotchy colored skin, bloodshot eyes, messy snowy white hair, but most of all, relief. Her violet eyes danced with the emotion like no other. "He has arrived."

DJ came crashing into the wall, breaking it into pieces. Clockwork floated over without thought and reverted the wall back to a time where it was not broken.

DJ had expected to see his sister grieving or furious at him but instead, saw the biggest smile he had ever seen— after he looked past her tear-streaked face— on her. He was even more surprised when she picked him up off the ground and hugged him in a Grandpa Jack-tight embrace, almost causing them both to crash to the floor.

* * *

Grief. It was a word that many people would find some time in their lifetime. No matter how hard one would try to escape it, it always came. Danielle just had thought that she— and her family— had dealt with that enough in their years to last them eternity. Apparently not.

It would always be there, sneaking around the corner, ready to attack at any given chance.

As Danielle sat on her temporary bed with her legs stretched out in front of her, the lights reduced to nothing more than blackness, and her eyes staring blankly at nothing before her as the rest of the family were gathered downstairs. Her tears had run dry hours ago, her throat nothing more than faintly horsed when anyone tried to speak to her.

She heard footsteps outside when Dan phased through the wall, entering her room.

"Haven't you heard of knocking," Danielle asked solemnly, without tearing her eyes away from their trance on her lap.

He shrugged carelessly as he dropped onto the small bed, causing it to groan under his weight. "Sorry, I'm not that great at the skill. You spend over 10 years breaking doors down, tapping on one without making it go flying is a bit of a challenge."

Danielle scoffed. "Is that supposed to be funny? Well, haha. What a great joke, I'm literally in stitches." Danielle pulled up her shirt, and pointed to the stitches that lined her abdomen.

Dan sighed, but tried to remain soft-voiced as much as possible. "I know. It's not really a time for humor but everyone copes differently. What isn't copping is blaming yourself for something you can't change."

Finally breaking from her trance, Danielle pulled her legs into her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs. "Dan, I had him being torn apart in the confines of his own mind! I could have trapped him there if I wasn't blinded by my rage."

Ha gave a small chuckle. "Trust me, I know the feeling and seeing those burning green eyes you that I've never seen on a halfa before. Yeah, my concise pissed itself seeing that. But please, know that anger is not always a bad thing when you use restraint. That power you had was incredible and if you learned how to use it, you could help a lot of people rather than hurt them. It's good to meditate and disconnect from the world but never underestimate the power your emotions give you when used properly."

Danielle blinked with her eyes wide open and staring straight at him now. "Aren't you the same bastard five years ago that wanted to kill my dad for existing?"

"'Guess I've grown a bit."

Heaving himself off the bed, he made his way back over to the door that lead out to the hallway. Just as he was about to exist, he looked back to Danielle. "Just something to think about."

* * *

With her back pressed up against the wall, she did her best to keep her eyes open. But soon enough, the battle became too much to fight, giving in to the temration sleep brought, she closed her eyes.

 _Within her mind's eye, she could still see the events of last night play out in her head. Haunting memories that she wished she could just erase. Her parents may have seen the fight between her and Vlad in the sky in the end, but they didn't see what had lead up to that. They didn't see what she had to fight through the levels once more of his subconscious._

 _How inside Vlad's twisted mind, she was first greeted by the Dark Danielle. It was so easy for her, walking with confidence toward her, not a scar on her body— so flawless. Not so long ago, she was everything Danielle wanted to be. But as she reached her, Danielle saw nothing but one of Vlad's pawns, dimly lit in his rainy neon nightmare world. Danielle placed a hand on her chest and simply pushed forward with the ease one would have opening a light door._

 _She both heard and felt the crack as the Dark Immatater flew back into the cityscape behind her, never bothering to get back up. The world warped around her into the hallway of his monstrous experiments as she heard the screams of her Grandfather at the end of the hall._

 _Every door she walked past had unimaginable horrors that did not phase her in the slightest._

 _Finally, she reached the end of the hall where she saw the mutilation Vlad wished upon her grandfather as pieces of him were ripped apart and replaced with machinery just so Vlad could torture him at a later date. Looking only for a moment, she closed the door, silencing the hallway once again._

 _Opening the door in front of her, she saw hundreds of the Observants standing in front of a small wooden door. A door that could only belong to a child. "How can you get this far with such ease! We have spent centuries shaping our plans and yet, you walk through our plans as if they were mist. Who are you!"_

 _The smile slowly, with grace seeped onto Danielle's lips, splitting apart to show her brilliant white teeth. "You worked for hundreds of years, putting all your old fashion misguided beliefs into your personal fucked up Superman without factoring in one thing."_

 _He huffed, arms crossed over his chest. "What would that be?"_

 _Danielle raised her arms as the Observants were all whipped to the side, freeing Danielle's path to the door in front of her._

 _"His kryptonite."_

 _The door burst open and the next thing Danielle could see was the endless horrors of her imagination playing on repeat, as her tormentor was brought to his knees over and over again and as begged for mercy. Danielle looked upon him with the judgment of every soul he had harmed as a smile forms on her_

"Danielle! Please, come downstairs. We shouldn't be alone right now."

Opening her eyes, she saw the loving face of her mom— red-eyed and puffy, with empty amethyst gem eyes— as Vlads screams began to fade in the echoing void of her consciousness.

* * *

Depression. Something that was known worldwide, yet seemed like it couldn't touch a small town such as theirs. And while her childhood hadn't been the best, it wasn't to a state of where she felt this. This pain. This depression.

But that was the thing about the sneaky monster, it could go wherever it pleased. Into whatever household it wanted to, and to whatever tortured soul it could find. It was not confined to whatever people thought was suitable for what the idea of depression needed to be present.

Because that was how depression worked, no less, but certainly more.

The shaking was new as was the feeling of absolute helplessness. The blood that stained the sidewalk below them shone with the oppressive blue of the shield above. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see her mother's eyes begin to fade away from her and her daughter. The tacky feeling of the blood still remained on her long after she passed.

This could not be real. It felt like one of those nightmares she got back in high school. She felt empty, like all the confidence she had built up in the past 15 years never happened.

Every time she closed her eyes, she could feel the cold concrete on her knees as the warmth of her dying mother spread from her fleeting figure. Sam couldn't remember a time where she was actually helpless. She had always been able to take matters into her own hands, even if it meant breaking the rules in order to do so.

But this. There was nothing she could. She couldn't fight this, she couldn't speak out, there was nothing to protest. She had lost her mother, someone she used to think never even cared and now she can't even fight back against the monster who took her from this world. Everything about this made her feel numb and the fire that had always lived in her amethyst eyes, was replaced with glossy gems that reflected the sorrow around her.

* * *

Lilith arrived having to hide the happiness that radiated off of her. This was different and she didn't know what to do. It's not that she wasn't sad, because she most definitely was. Pamela had always been there for her and her brother, taking interest in everything that made them unique and trying to push them to always go one step further when they thought they couldn't. She was a role model and a hero. DJ existed the portal shortly after his sister. They had a family in mourn to visit.

So, they went back once more, after the timeline change— after DJ came back from L.A, of course, with a look in his eyes that buried the pain away from long ago. He was aged a bit beyond his years now, and even while that pulled a heart string or two, she was still relieved. He was here. Alive. He had the _chance_ to age when she thought at one point he'd never have that.

While Lilith knew how timeline changes felt, DJ never had. He was there when Pamela was cut down by Vlad and because of this, he came back to a future he no longer knew. When he left to help their parent's, he left a future where he had always known his Nana. And now he could feel her absence with every breath he took.

He had memories he didn't create. Memories where his parent's told him stories about Pamela that she herself had told him. The responsibility he held over himself mixed with memories that were never his brought him to a standstill.

The family was both surprised and relieved when they saw the two exit the portal. Lilith must have known about Pamela's passing for a long time and for her to show up to grieve with them for a woman she most likely only knew through stories meant so much to them all. Maddie walked up to the both of them and gave them a hug that brought the two closer than they had been to each other in years.

"Thank you, both. I can't tell you how much this means to everyone."

As Lilith made the rounds, she did her best not to attract any attention. Everyone here was feeling the absence of her nana and the relief she felt for the survival of her brother came with the guilt that it was at a cost.

She knew her brother felt responsible for her passing but he didn't know what the alternative was and she would never tell him. He was that classic meathead patriotic type hero where he would do anything to save a life even sacrificing his own. She would say that it was selfish but in her heart, she knew it could never be something so black and white.

* * *

Begging. They say it was a part of the grieving process, and Jazz knew that all too well. She was a physicist after all. While she majored in it, she had to write a paper about it, even got an A on it because of how much research, hard work, and dedication she put into one paper.

But that paper meant nothing, the research held nothing, when one was actually experiencing it.

In the end, begging was weakness, and she had no strength left to give in the moment.

Her mind was racing at a thousand miles an hour. Her movements were slow and steady but on the inside, she was falling again and again from a waterfall of emotions at the end of already unforgiving rapids. The world around her had not yet solidified.

Everything to her was shapes and sounds that she barely recognized as her family but as the room became white one shape had formed properly in her eyes. Lilith. Her mother had greeted her but there was something off about Lilith in this room. Even with her mind not yet reformed, she could see something in Lilith that nobody else possessed.

Happiness.

She walked over to Lilith, asking to speak with her privately. The words that left her mouth were hardly hers. It was as if someone were speaking for her. The words and voice were hers but there was no command in her head that preceded them. It was as if her brain was on autopilot and she cared not where it took her. But as she looked down on her future niece there were final words in the void that was her heart and mind.

"I'm glad to see you, Aunt Jazz. I know things must be hard right now and that's why we're here. Nobody should have to go through this alone."

Jazz looked to Lilith the way one looked to a deity. The words were nearly impossible to articulate yet, it was the only thing her head could from as she dropped to her knees in front of her niece, hands grasping at the ends of Lilith's clothing. "Please. stop this. Please, fix this, Lilly. I need you to fix this."

The look of surprise on Lilith's face stabbed through the heart of Jazz. She didn't need to speak words to convey her message. "Why... Why not. Why not just this once, please just for me just this once. Just once, something I don't have to earn or fight for or plan just this once why can't I just get what I need because I need it!" Jazz collapsed into Lilith's arms. Her words barely tangible. "I just want it gone. I just wanna be whole again."

Lilith did her best to console Jazz but she knew more than anyone else that this scar would always last.

Danielle stood at the bottom of the steps just out of Jazz and Lilith's view.

After a few minutes, Lilith called their Grandmother over to make sure Jazz was not alone. All of this and Lilith just stood among them like she belonged. She had the power to stop all this from happening but instead, she acts like she cares about Pamela.

Danielle walked up to her sister with purpose, anger flashing in her baby blues. "What the hell are you doing here!?"

Lilith's happiness had come to an abrupt halt, as the guilt that hid in the background made its presence known at the forefront of Lilith's mind.

They were now only a few inches away from each other, Danielle's breath washing over her younger sister's face. "How dare you show up here now like you care. Where were you when we need you. Were you too busy looking down on us mortals from your big ticking tower to care about your family!?"

Lilith stumbled backward on unsteady feet on her words. "I care, I do."

"Shut up! You don't care about Jazz! If you cared, you would've warned her about Roy. If cared, you wouldn't have stopped Vlad from plunging the blade in Nana's chest. But no! You didn't! You knew it was going to happen. You had the power and you let it happen. So, don't you dare act like you care!"

Lilith's calm had finally snapped. "You're right, I didn't stop it! I let things play out the way time was meant to, like I was trained to do. But I didn't know about Nana! I loved Nana, I grew up with Nana! Dan was the one who encouraged me to become Clockwork's apprentice. But she was the one that always pushed me when times got hard. Every bad thing I had to let happen, I talked to her. She was there every step of the way. So, don't _you_ dare say I don't care!"

Anger still radiated off of Danielle, but she had taken over some control as she growled out, "If you cared so much, then why did you let her die!"

Lilith shot forward, index finger pointed at the older woman. "Because it was her choice! You don't understand what I see in a day. The things I have to let happen. Nana wasn't supposed to die, DJ was!"

The anger Danielle had been carrying for the past day had finally been silenced. "What?"

Lilith shuttered at the thought of remembering it, even now when it everything had changed. "Vlad wasn't supposed to phase through him. DJ was going to land one final blow to Vlad and end this nightmare. But in the process, Vlad's blade would have pierced him to the point where healing him was impossible. With Vlad down for good, he would have used the last of his strength to run back to the future where Mom, Dad and I would have to watch helplessly as he died."

Danielle pressed her back on the wall as she used the friction to slide down and sit on the floor, her taking the blunt of the fall. "Our little brother?"

Lilith nodded. "The look on Mom and Dad's faces. When he took down Vlad they saw the blade go through him and he just ran off out of time. From the moment of his birth, to his dying breath, they remembered as his blood spilled next to Vlad's, never knowing if he survived. As he grew up, as he began to look the way they saw him that night. The look in their eyes as they wondered if that night was the night they got an answer. The one night they got the answer they had always feared."

* * *

Denial. A part of the process that Danny never thought he would have to come to when it came to his job description. It was something everyone went through, yet they don't realize it until it was too late. And it felt too late for this.

Ten years... It had been just over ten years since he got his powers and while in the past there had always been instances where he couldn't save everyone, he always made sure that it didn't affect him. If he let it, then it would take away from the moment cost more people.

But this was something wasn't right. All of them had been working together for years, becoming stronger and learning together. Vlad was nothing. He was a nuisance to them and nothing more. He had schemes and plots. The guy was a scooby doo villain with ghost powers he was never _this_.

This wasn't possible, maybe Lilith accidentally shifted them into the wrong timeline. Pamela couldn't be dead, she wasn't the way she used to be, not by a long shot. There was something they must have been missing. Some secret hatch... a body double... there had to be some weird cartoony explanation. This just couldn't be happening.

This couldn't be real.

* * *

And finally, after going through the grieving, people will find themselves in acceptance. It wasn't simple, nor were the other stages of grief so simple. It was a mix of emotions that went crazily around, jumping from the beginning to middle. But as Jeremy found, the end of it was bittersweet in a sense.

This was it. After years of seeing his wife be bitter and stuck up, she had finally let the light back into her heart and in doing so, his.

Jeremy sat on the couch— in the nearly empty mansion, seeing as Ida was downstairs bowling to put her mind at peace— as he thought back to their childhood and all the trouble she would get into. How she used to get him to sneak out in the middle of the night to hit the town. Now, after they had expanded their lives and opened up to the wider and greater parts of life, her's was cut short. But in a way, he was happy. For most of their marriage, she was never happy, not with him, not with herself.

The year Danny became the phantom, they were looking at separating and leaving Amity altogether. But as Danny got their daughter into more and more trouble, they thought it would be best to stay together to try and keep order in their unruly daughter.

Then the asteroid came and Samantha was in the middle of it and while they still didn't like Danny back then, when the world saw their hero, they saw their daughter right next to him. With that, eventually came Danielle and well the rest is history.

But some didn't know of what happened between them finding out about Danielle, and the acceptance of her. They didn't know the anger, they didn't know the pain. Because how could their sixteen-year-old daughter have a fourteen-year-old daughter of her own? How would they cope? How would their business fare? Would the scandal take them down with their reputation? So many thoughts and accusations were thrown between them.

Jermay remembered at one point, they had honestly thought of taking Sam and running away. Forget Danny. Forget Danielle or whatever her name was. The thing that had stopped them was Ida saying she'd take them out of the will and would completely disown them.

And then, before she scooted away, she left them with a parting thought.

"How does Sam feel in all of this? What was it like for her having to be a parent without having her own standing by her side? How alone was she in all of this?" She then looked to Pamela, sadness in her eyes. "How would it feel being uprooted from the only life she had ever known just for the convenience of a company."

And he remembered how hard that hit Pamela. Because all she had wanted in life, in the end, was to be there for Sam. And do the right thing by her, but in doing so, they hadn't seen how much they had pushed her away.

So, in that moment, they vowed to make sure they would do whatever it took to get their daughter back, and to get to know their granddaughter, which caused them to feel guilty after getting to know the wonderful, amazing woman that she was.

And with that, Pamela was happy and while it didn't all happen at once they both were. Those annoying qualities they had always seemed to find in each other, seemed to be less and less with each day. It was strange, in a way.

The knew that having a kid didn't fix a marriage or a person but seeing their daughter take action and work her way into becoming the type of parent they wished they could be, made them rethink a lot of things in their life until finally, they realized the reason they were unhappy was not with the world around them but was with themselves.

When Pamela stepped in front of that blade to protect Danny and their granddaughter, it wasn't her throwing her life away. She was taking the final steps of her journey and as sad as Jeremy was at the loss of his wife, he could not find himself to resent her for the choice she made.

Because in one last action, she had finally found happiness and made sure that Danielle lived so that she would not be the last life that girl would save.

* * *

 **Not gonna life, jearmny was my favorite part to write, explaining what had happened in the week before Pamela had met up with Danielle at the Nasty Burger and begged her for forgiveness.**

 **Jazz is breaking my heart, poor child. That guilt won't leave her for a while.**


	19. Chapter 19: Burial

**Once again, this chapter deals heavily with sensitive subject matter and this will most likely be the case for the next three chapters as well. We love each and every one of our readers and do not take serious matters lightly. That being said, when my husband writes he usually selects music that is fitting for specific chapters. If you would like to share in this experience the specific song he chose for this chapter is "Little Talks -LIVE from Vatnagaroar" by Of Monsters and Men. It is a short song but does wonders on conveying the emotions felt within the chapter. Thank you and enjoy.**

 **Also, sorry for the delay. This has been crazy with new jobs and everything. The schedule may be a little hectic for the next couple of weeks, but it won't be too horrible, promise.**

* * *

Danny woke up, just the same as every day, Sam sat at the edge of her side of the bed, only glancing back when hearing her husband wake. He removed the covers and saw the only suit he owned waiting for him on the dresser across the room. He could hear the dust particles whisp through the air as neither he nor Sam made a sound.

Danny could see her sitting near-motionless as he slipped hastily into his shirt. It was obvious how devastated she was as she was already dressed from the moment he woke up. How this felt like an average day, he didn't know, he saw the devastation around him but felt nothing. He was not heartless or uncaring, for he loved all of his family as deeply as someone could, but if there were words to describe him, it was as though he was in a dream fully aware of how unreal everything around him was.

Every step he took left no impact on him. He was numb to the world around him even as he held Sam close to him. Reality had abandoned him and he was left to live in a world where he could not feel the tears that fell from his wife's face. He lifted the knot on his tie as he took Sam's hand, exiting the room as the door closed and the confined space went dark.

* * *

The air was thick and harsh as each breath Danielle took stabbed at her lungs. The phrase having a lump in one's throat always sounded ridiculous to her but after a night filled with no sleep, she now knew it to be true as it choked her with every breath. The air was cold, even with the heat produced from the shield.

Nothing felt right to her. Every touch was a new and awful sensation as it pricked at the layers of her skin. While she had always loved the color black, the dress she had waiting for her at the edge of her bed looked upon her with harsh, unforgiving eyes. Like most things lately, it was just another thing she once loved turned vile.

She could sleep but she would not rest, she ate but could not taste. Everything enjoyable about her life had turned to ash in her hands the moment Pamela's eyes lost their light. Still, she knew she had to eat, she had to sleep, and she had to do the impossible and move forward.

Vlad had stopped the world and made it revolve around her, even if she begged with everything in her that it didn't. She didn't want the attention. She walked out her bedroom door, the only thing she wished was to be forgotten.

As Danielle walked down the stairs, she could see the faint glow of Lilith's amethyst eyes. She could see the sorrow in them as she too knew the price that had to be paid for DJ's life. Still, it was the only thing that brought her anything close to the feeling of joy.

That little crap that always got into trouble waving his ego around town and he was going to sacrifice himself for all of them. When she reached the last step she saw her younger brother sitting still on the couch, arms resting between his knees, head hung low as his blank stare went for miles ahead of him. Danielle was careful to approach him, seeing as he was still shaken as much as the rest of them. "I could have saved her, maybe if I was just a little faster or tried a different maneuver."

Danielle sat next to him before he could continue his thoughts. "It was his blade DJ, not your speed. You still saved the rest of us and if it wasn't for you, Vlad would have…" She swallowed the bitter words. "If it weren't for you, there wouldn't be a family right now. She knew what she was doing and I know she wouldn't want you to feel responsible." Danielle stood up outstretching her hand to the grieving halfa. "Come on DJ, it's time to be strong."

* * *

Danny held on to Sam as much as he could. It had been so long since he even remembered the woman Pamela used to be and in the time Danielle had been their daughter she had done everything she could to let her daughter know how much she cared.

As they approached the funeral home, Sam's had begun to shake almost uncontrollably. The doors stood before them when she finally broke down, her black tears streamed down her face from her mascara as she clung to Danny's coat-jacket. If she took one more step through those doors, she would have to accept the reality that she would never get to hug the amazing woman she called her mother ever again. That the woman she had fought so hard for was gone and the only thing remaining lie inside.

As Danny held her in his arms, he used his free hand to push open the heavy doors, letting the air conditioning to punch them full force in the face.

She lifted her head from his chest, turning around to see the glow of the yellow light from within. As hard as she tried, she could not conjure the strength to move. As she looked inside, she felt a hand cup her shoulder. Behind her, standing next to Danny was her father, stubble lining his face. It was strange seeing her father like this, he had always been neatly shaven as it looked good for business but in honor of both Pamela and tradition, the stubble remained.

Entering the oddly warm building Danny looked around at his surroundings until finally, his eyes reached the closed casket. Reality returned to him once more as every range of emotion hit him at once. He did his best to move but as everything around him finally settled in, all he could do was hold back the tears that fought at every moment to break through.

Both Sam and Danny borrowed strength from one another as they took their seats. Neither of them spoke but simply took comfort in each other's embrace. It was not long until the rest of the family was there.

Most of the family had not yet healed from their injuries from the fight as they stood above the simple casket. Every Fenton, present, and future was in attendance as the tears that poured down from the sky were denied by the glowing blue prison that surrounded them. While she wasn't the favorite person in town for a time, nearly the entire population had shown their respects in some manner to honor her sacrifice.

Jazz sat in the back with her mother consoling her. Although they all knew it was not the case, she still felt somehow responsible for her passing. Always muttering how if she had known who Roy really was, she could've stopped it. The guilt made her keep her distance as the rest of the family came up to say their final farewells.

Danielle and Lilith sat next to each other. Not a word shared between the two.

When the time came, both Sam and Izzy walked up to Danielle. She too their hands as they lifted her from her chair. All three of the Manson children stood before the casket.

Izzy was the first to speak. "In my other life, you and I were distant, we were never close then. When I came back to this world, I never got to know my new mother that well before I lost her. But when I got my memories back, I never thought the thing I would miss the most right now would be the hugs you tried to give me. Now it's the only thing I want right now. You were complicated but in the end, you did far more good than not and I'll never forget the feeling of your hugs."

Sam was the next to speak, her throat thick and horsed from dried tears. "We didn't always get along through the years but I did love you, no matter how different we saw things. You're an amazing Mom and an excellent dancer. I will never forget the look on your face when I ruined that silly pink dress when I was a kid. You were so mad. But in the end, I could not have asked for a better Mom. I have never been more proud to bear the name Samantha."

Danielle couldn't find the right words for the woman that lay before her.

Both Izzy and Sam placed a hand on Danielle's shoulders as Ida's scooter rolled up behind her. "I was never the Mother you wanted, and I don't think given a million chances I could ever do better than the woman that begged us to take you in. I was cruel and only interested in what was best for our name. I never knew the harm that I was placing upon you. If it had not been for your amazing daughter, I might never have seen it."

Ida looked to Danielle, her beat red and skin caked with dried tears, Snot dribble from her nose down to her puffy lips, but she didn't care to wipe it

Taking Danielle's hand, she continued. "She had changed my heart and I prayed that you might see the same. It wasn't until this one walked into our lives that you learned the lesson it took me nearly 50 years to learn. I may not have been the mother you were born with but I think I can speak for the both of us when I say never have I been so proud as a parent to see how far you have come. We love you, Pammy. We always will."

One by one each family member came up to the casket to pay their respects. Each member carrying a different memory in their heart as they looked upon the wooden box.

One by one the family placed their handful of dirt over the coffin that lay in the ground, making it hard to breathe for everyone with each scoop that covered the casket. The stain of the dirt on their hands remained long into the night as not a word or note played through the house.

For the first time since Vlad's reveal, Jazz had begun to walk around by the halls on her own yet her lips would not even care to whisper. The bathroom door closed with a single knife missing from its place in the kitchen.

* * *

Danny and Sam once again sat in their bed as the television illuminated the room without a sound.

"How could this happen. I thought I was... I couldn't... I can't even protect my own family."

Sam could see the pain on his face as he slouched down, his face hidden in his dirt covered hands. His voice muffled by his hands, he spoke in a tired voice." I couldn't save her. She had to save us. Where do I go from here?"

"We fight."

Danny looked over to see Sam's hand curled into an iron like fist. "We fight and we win. I will not let that monster take another life from this world." Her fists began to quiver as drops of blood ran down her hand staining the sheets below. "I don't care how. I don't care what it cost, I want him gone."

Danny moved closer with a look of concern on his face. "That's not who we are."

Her face scrunched with anger, a small growl passed through tight teeth as the edges of her jaw turned taunt."I don't give a shit about who we are! That bastard slaughtered my mother like it was nothing and if you don't kill him, I will!"

Tears burned her face with a mixture of sorrow and rage each battling to take hold of the young woman's heart. But as she looked into the soft blue eyes of her husband, the ones that were always there, she knew the completion had ended as she grasped at her shirt longing to feel the warmth she had been void of the past days.

"He took her from me. He took her from me!"

* * *

Danielle walked about the house aimlessly as the rest of the family went about with their nightly chores. The light over the sink early illuminated the room giving it a faint golden glow. There was something about the faint yellow light and the way reflected around the room that mesmerized Danielle.

It was strange, seeing as she had her phone in her pocket and the TV in the living room yet, the calm silence that filled the dimly light room brought her more comfort than anything else in the house. As she sat at the kitchen table, she could practically sense Tucker standing in the archway.

"You can come in, sweetie. You're not interrupting anything." Tucker took soft, careful steps as he pulled out a chair that screeched in protest against the kitchen floor and sat across from his girlfriend.

She wouldn't meet his gaze as she mindlessly stirred her coffee.

He kept his tone soft as to not to spook her from her concentration. "It's actually pretty peaceful down here when you can't hear Jack snoring."

Danielle gave a small smirk at the joke.

He sighed, knowing that was all he would receive from her. No laugh, no genuine smile, and he knew that was okay. This was how it would be for a while. And he would be there for her. No matter what. "Honey, I don't know what to say. There is no joke or pop reference that can fix this and I honestly don't think there is anything that can fix it. I'm not powered like you or your father and even when I bribe Deserie, I'm not even that strong. I don't know what do in all of this."

Danielle looked up with a look of compassion, a broken smile teetering on edge of her lips. It was a start. "Gosh, you're an idiot."

"Well, you're definitely Pam's granddaughter."

To anyone else, that might have stung on a day such as this, but she knew where his heart lay. It was always filled with love. "Your strength isn't from powers, it's from your smarts and more importantly that big, goofy, stupid heart of yours. It's something Vlad lacks. With all that power he will never be happy. He could have the world under his boot and it will never be enough. Anger and pain like his doesn't go away with power. Don't you think so little of yourself just because you can't fly. You mean the world to me and after everything we've lost, I don't want you to be one of the thing's I can't get back.

"I hope you don't mind me walking in."

The two looked over to see Lilith standing by the stove, layers of sleep smudged into her sleepy eyes.

Danielle shook her head and patted the seat next to her. "You're fine. Besides, I wanted to ask you something."

"Well, I'm all ears." She walked over to the table and sat next to her sister as she looked at there with esteemed curiosity.

She looked to Lilith with curiosity in her eyes. "What did you mean at Jazz's wedding where you said that I would help her through this. As much as we all would like it, we know that Roy didn't die."

Lilith seemed to be stung by the question. "You weren't there when Roy revealed himself so you never had your rage take over inside Vlad's mind. DJ came right as you had hold of His mind and as he fought to regain full control that's when DJ began his attack. You held Vlad back as much as you could giving DJ an even greater edge in the fight."

"I still don't even understand how was DJ able to defeat Vlad? He's been gaining power for years and yet DJ was the one to do it."

Lilith took no pleasure in the memory that once was. Shudders tickled down her spine. "Vlad get's his strength from the stolen grief of those around him, it is even stronger for those who pass. From the moment DJ was stabbed through the chest and left the battlefield our parents never knew if he would survive. They grieved with every step he took, dying a little bit each and every day. With DJ being half ghost, he sucked up that energy like a sponge. So, when he went up against Vlad, he had just as much— if not more— power than him. Vlad may have stolen the sadness of thousands but nothing can beat the sorrow of a parent having to bury their child."

Silence returned to the room for just a moment. Not even the small noise of the ticking of the clock truly pierced their ears.

"How does this play out then? If you, or Clockwork— the ones that are supposed to know _everything_ with timelines— don't even know, am I still able to help Jazz?"

She gave a heavy shrug of her shoulders. "I don't know. I grew up in a timeline where DJ takes down Vlad and now that it's changed we are both in uncharted territory."

Danielle's voice was helpless as she breathed out, "You have to know something... You always do."

Lilith smiled. "If I were to say anything, it's that if something want's to happen the river will just flow around whatever is trying to stop it. Keep an eye on her and when the time comes... You make sure she goes through with it."

* * *

As Jack got up for the nightly fudge snack, he walked the hall and was blinded by the light creeping out of the cracked bathroom door.

Walking over to the bathroom, he opened the door to see long clumps of auburn hair scattered across the bathroom floor with a knife resting on top of the largest bundle.

* * *

 **I'll see you guys soon! Love you all!**


	20. Chapter 20: AN

Hello to all our faithful readers! This is Matthna, The Husband, and I just wanted to say thank you all for sticking with us. In the past week, we have been experiencing very bad storms that knocked out our power and fried our modem. On top of this I have started a new Job at the local supermarket and have been very busy with training and figuring out how to balance work and home but please worry not because we will continue writing the next chapter first thing tomorrow. We love every one of you and it is your views and reviews that make it all worthwhile. Have a great night everyone. Matthna Out!


	21. Chapter 21: A Change Of Heart

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, I hope it's worth it. Everything should resume back to normal as far as the schedule. Thank you for all the positivity!**

* * *

"Ah yes, thousand's of people living under a dome of fear and self-doubt... I could feast for ages and not have to lift a single finger."

Spectra strolled down the abandoned midnight streets of Amity, feeling all the fear seeping from those too terrified to sleep. The thoughts of parents helpless to protect their children electrified the air as the ravage of time reversed itself on the predator specter. She smile with a toothy grin when she heard the hard footsteps clapping against the concrete pavement behind her.

Spectera twisted her torso, trying to get a peak at the hidden stranger. "Hello there, sweetie. I can't wait to find out what your damage is."

Spectra's face went numb as she hit the ground, ecto leaking from her nose. "Why you little! Do you know how long it takes me to look presentable!"

The spectral world went black as the last thing her conscious mind saw was a somewhat familiar face, clad in a black leather jacket and short fiery red hair.

"No amount of insecurity can fix your ugly heart."

* * *

Spectra came to, tied to a desk chair in ecto proof chains in a pitch black room. "You know, you feel familiar in a way, do I know you?"

The room was silent, a pin could be heard if dropped. Yet, Spectra could feel the anguish the room carried and at the heart of it was coming from the figure standing in the corner of the room, veiled in shadow and misery. It swam in the air and electrified every current that the stuffy air flowed through.

"Come on, I know we've met before. Oh, I know who you are! You're that ghost brats sister! Oh, you were so filled with doubt back then and now? Oh, I don't know why I didn't sense you before. Oh, my sweet who has hurt you so?"

The tone of her voice was that of a child being handed their favorite treat. It soured the air in the room just to be in her presence. "Just being around you brings a smile to my face, I honestly don't think I have had anything as decadent as you."

A spark flashed, illuminating the hate in her darkened glassed crystal blue eyes for a single moment as the hum of the ghost portal powered up behind spectra.

As the severity of the situation finally hit, Spectra knew to start begging for her afterlife. Fear rattled her core. "Sweetie, um, there's no need to get drastic... I can help you. I can help all of you."

The figure made not a sound in response to her pleas, only a small smirk starting to tugging at the edges of her lips.

Spectra's chest started to heave in heavy pants as her fiery green eyes widened almost twice the size of her face. "Please, you can't! I feed off of negative emotion and he feeds off of ecto energy! If you send me in there, I won't last a minute with how much I've fed!"

A smile spread across her face. "Everything has its price... even beauty. Don't worry, though."

Jazz walked out of the shadows as the green glow of the ghost portal reflected the rage-filled smile on her face as she placed her foot on the arm of the chair. "It sounds like you two were made for each other."

Without remorse, Jazz kicked out her leg out, sending Spectra into the ghost portal as the echoes of her screams filled the room.

Her fist slammed against the control panel as the portal dissipated out of existence. "Eat up asshole, I want you at full confident when I send you to hell."

* * *

The morning had a strange feel to it. After spending the past two nights without sleep, Danielle had finally crashed. The air was stale, even with the shields air filtration system. Without notice, Jack came crashing into Danielle's room, startling her awake once more as she jumped from her bed, arms slicing through the air as if ready to attack an intruder that may be near.

"Get up! I can't find Jazz anywhere!"

Danielle quickly transformed and began searching the house.

It wasn't just the two searching, the entire Fenton family was spread across the house in a panic looking for Jazz. A few minutes passed and all panic was relieved when they heard the strange sound of a cheerful giggle coming from Jazz's room.

The sound seemed almost unnatural due to the events of the past three days. Jack was the first to enter and as Danielle followed, she could hear her grandfather's breath taken from him. Looking past the giant of a man she saw Jazz where one of her classic pink tops, legs crisscross in front of her, dressed in plush cartoon pajamas as she giggled at a cat video on her phone.

Jack slowly crawled towards his daughter, keeping caution in his steps as to not to spook her. This wasn't what he had expected to see when he opened the door. "Sweetie... Um... What's going on?"

Jazz looked to her father with what Danielle could only describe as genuine happiness. "Yeah, Dad. I'm fine now. Do you wanna watch this with me? It's pretty great."

Her grandfather wasn't sure how to respond. So, he just gave a silent nod.

The scene in front of Danielle seemed like an illusion. There was no way— even with her knowledge of psychiatry— that Jazz moved on that fast. But the strangest thing out of everything wrong was... her hair. It was the right shade of auburn and even the right length, but the way it shone in the light just seemed off.

Both her parent's ran up the stairs together, only to have the exact same reaction as her and her grandfather. Nothing about this was right and as much as they would like to buy into this delusion, they just couldn't. She had to have known that what she was doing wasn't healthy for her but perhaps the feeling of something normal trumped her rational thinking.

"Danielle?"

She turned around to see her mom and dad looking at her, wearing their heart's on their sleeves. Danielle knew what this was, it was the third day of Vlad's ultimatum and this was the day he gave them to make up her mind on becoming his puppet. She hated that they were even doing this nonsense and following the whim of a monster but with time a precious commodity they didn't have a choice. None of them liked it, but the bastard was nothing if not clever.

Her parents knew it was her choice and her choice alone, even if they begged her not to. "I know. I knew this was coming and... I'm gonna do it. I can't let him hurt anyone else and if I go with him, I know he'll never keep his word but it'll at least buy you all time to figure this mess out. And before you say anything, I know I'm your daughter but I'm Phantom and more importantly, a Fenton and Fenton's don't let good people suffer for their sake."

Danny took a deep breath and looked at Sam. "You're not going to change your mind, are you?"

Danielle put her head down in shame.

"No."

Danny sighed. "Then I guess we just try to make the most out of the next two days then."

Danielle looked at the two in shock. "I thought you two would have tried to stop me or force me to stay in the house or I don't know something!"

Tears bloomed in both of her parent's eyes, but they blinked them away as they pulled her into them. "You're our child, no matter what that monster says and whether it's me or your Mom, we both know that once our minds are made up, there's no changing them. You are an adult now whether any of us are ready for it. You can make your own choices and it doesn't matter what we would do to stop you, you would always find a way out. So instead of spending the next two days at each other's throats trying to force our wills onto the other, I would much rather spend time together before whatever happens happens."

"Thanks, Dad."

Danny wrapped his arms tighter around his girls and they walked to the main upstairs family room. Grandpa Jack still watching cat Videos with Jazz.

Something about Jazz still felt off to Danielle as she left the room. Not the childlike cloak she was wearing but there just seemed to be something... more.

* * *

As lunchtime rolled around, Danielle was helping her Dad outside on the grill, when she noticed something peculiar sticking out of the outside garbage bin. Walking over to it, she signaled her Dad to continue without her and upon further inspections, she saw strands of auburn hair.

Turning back to her dad, she called out, "Dad, I'll be right back. Make sure the Cujo twins don't get at the meat."

He gave a nod of his head and she made her way up the steps.

Entering Jazz's room she gave a quick knock, so not to startle her.

"It's open, sweetie," She said with a playful giggle as she watched a rerun of whatever cartoon was still playing.

Creaking the door open, Danielle peaked her head through the small crack before swinging the door fully open and entering the room. "Aunt Jazz, I found what looks to be some of your hair in the trash outside. Is there something going on?"

Jazz simply smiled upon hearing the discovery. "Yeah sweetie, I cut my bangs, don't you think they look great?"

Danielle hadn't noticed with all the chaos that had happened recently. Still, this didn't put her mind at ease.

Moving across the small space of the room, Danielle sat on the bed next to her aunt. "Aunt Jazz... Nobody blames anyone for what happened and what happened well it... It's okay to be sad. You shouldn't have to feel like you need to hide your true feelings from us. We're your family and we love you."

Jazz placed a hand on Danielle's. "I know. What happened, happened and there's no changing it. So why should I bother letting it affect me?"

That still didn't seem right. Danielle shook her head, trying to gain a coherent argument on her aunt. "Jazz, you can't just hide from something like that you have to-"

A cry of help from Danny echoed through the house, reaching Jazz's bedroom. "Danielle! Cujo's got one of the steaks and another Cujo's growling at him! I don't think he know's he's growling at himself and I'm not sure whether I should laugh or be concerned!"

Jazz pointed at the doorway where they could hear Danny trying to calm the bewildered ghost dogs and his cries of defeat when it didn't work. "You should probably go help him before it escalates."

"But Jazz. Please, just-"

"Now the big Cujo is dragging the little one by the steak their biting. Oh gosh, not the tool shed!"

Danielle looked back to her aunt, before heading back down. For a single moment, Danielle thought she saw a single tear leave her aunts eye.

* * *

"Ah yes, the cool night air. Even under this shield, I can feel the pain that dwells even in the sanctity of dreams. He has made my life so much more interesting and easy. So much wonderful energy. Never ending nightmares of a world going to ruin. Never ending food."

Nocturn quickly jolted into the shadows as he noticed there were two figures stalking the night instead of just one. "Nice try, nightwalker, but it is I who holds the night." He backed into the dark alley when he heard a spark of electricity behind him. He quickly dodged the strike when Danielle jumped in front of the assailant.

Danielle spread her arms out in front of herself, trying to ward off the person haunting Nocturne. "I don't know who you are but I have some idea and if it's true, please, just hear me out."

There was a moment of silence before the electric rod swung at the young halfa.

Danielle swiped left, barely dodging the swing of the weapon. "Hey!"

The electricity was extinguished as the figure and crept in the shadows, the figure slowly fading from view as the only thing that could be seen from the night was pitch darkness.

"Wait, I just wanna talk!" Danielle bolted into the darkness as she followed the sound of heavy footsteps. But no matter how fast she ran, Danielle couldn't keep up. "Just wait, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to help."

Danielle was eventually met with a solid metal wall and ignited a plasma flame to see the hard obstruction."Really Jazz! A dumpster?!" Hearing the rusted metal of a nearby fire escape, Danielle took to the air and moved the flame in her hand to see a broken Fenton thermos lying on the bottom stair.

"Of course, the valedictorian wouldn't be that stupid." Danielle muttered to herself as she looked above to see the blue tint of the shielded night sky.

* * *

For some reason, his daughter's eyes looked well... Blue than normal. It was like the life had been returned to her and as much as he knew it wasn't right Jack couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. The family all sat together at the three tables necessary to fit the entirety of their family.

Tucker looked at Danielle, seeing her constantly steel glances at Jazz. He placed his hand on hers and to his surprise, she wrapped her fingers in his. It had been only four days, but it felt like an eternity.

Even with whatever she had going on in her head the fact that she still made the little effort went a great distance for him. With her being one of the three main ghost, time together had been short yet, she had always found the time, even if not for very long, to show how much he still meant to her. The first night they really opened up to each other over their battle scars of all things and now there might be a chance that he would never see her again. Lost to a nightmare from their past. Yet somehow there was something in her eyes that told him it was going to be alright.

They had faith in each other even when times were hard and while she sat next to her sister at the funeral, Tucker sat on the other side, making sure that when the time came she could stand on her feet once again. He never knew how much he could love another person. Through his whole life, he had always had a device by his side, was obsessed over the latest game, and tried to hit on any girl that moved but now... nothing else mattered except waking up in a bed where she was the first thing he'd see.

He didn't care what it took or how much he needed to sacrifice. He was never going to let her go. He knew she had already made up her mind and he was not going to change it. He respected her choice and knew no matter what it took, they would be free of this nightmare.

The light outside began to dim as twilight took over Amity once again. It was the final night before she had to confront Vlad and leave her family to survive and find a way to end this. It was her job to buy them as much time as possible but until then she knew it was... she hoped it was best to leave things silent with what Jazz had been up to.

Everybody had already been through so much and now was not the time to through another wrench into the mix. She only wished she had more time with Tucker tonight. Running after her aunt wasn't ideal in any scenario but tonight was just cruel. Still, she knew that in her mindset she would be reckless and the last thing anybody needed was another loss.

Tucker wrapped his arms around her as they stood out on the balcony once more. It might not be the same as when they first stood there but in a way, it was fitting. Both of them had changed so much. He stopped trying to play the macho man so much while she opened up to him in ways she had never even opened up to her father.

For two people who were always talkative, they both stood there in silence enjoying the sunset as the took comfort in each other's embrace. Danielle turned around to look into his soft turquoise eyes. The way he looked back. She knew she had to make it back and no matter what that monster did, she could never give into his hate.

* * *

Below her, Danielle could see Nocturn trying to be hidden. However, ironically he was not one who could hide easily in the night. If she could track him, then Jazz could just as easily. Now, where the hell was she? Danielle could see the entire scene from her perch atop the building yet there was no sign of her.

Looking down, Danielle felt something secure itself around her foot. As she was turning to see what it was she felt a hand push her off the edge falling fast to the ground however before she could come close she felt a harsh tug on her ankle as she hung by it and the rope tied to her.

"Gosh, she's good." Danielle quickly made herself intangible and landed on the ground. She could see Nocturn begin to phase through one of the buildings when she activated the Fenton Thermos and captured the nightly specter. "See? All taken care of, no leather required."

Out of the darkness, one of the massive boots hit Danielle's hand, knocking the thermos to the ground as the leather-clad blur picked it up before she could react.

"Come on!" Danielle yelled into the darkness.

Whatever she was preparing for, that night she had forgotten to turn off her phone as the light shone brightly, even from within her pocket. Danielle took quick notice and began pursuit, this time make sure not to fall for her tricks. As the shadows of the buildings overshadowed them Danielle noticed a familiar shape, the sign to the rust ghost.

Thinking fast, Danielle fired a plasma blast at Jazz making sure to miss but also to cut off her path forcing her to go down the nearby ally. She easily avoided the shot and fell right into Danielle's trap. She looked around to make sure it was how she remembered. No fences, no fire escapes, just brick wall. Finally, Danielle had her cornered when Jazz took out her staff and cranked up the electricity.

Danielle stood straight at the implications of her aunt's predatory stance. She looked as if she was a caged animal, and she was about to devour her captor. "What're you gonna do? Shock your own family? Come on, Jazz. This is insane! Dad and I have powers and 've been doing this for years. We don't need you out in the streets, we need you with us where we can figure a way out of this mess. Please..."

The figure stepped forward, electricity still surging through the staff.

"Please, Jazz. Don't!"

She swung the staff-wide, easy for Danielle to avoid.

"I know you don't want to hurt me. So, please, don't!"

Jazz swung again, this time, making impact on her outer thigh. Danielle dropped to the gravel on one knee and clutched the open wound— blood and ecto seeping out from it— as pain trickled into her leg and ignited a burning pathway that blazed through every nerve ending up her mid thigh.

Danielle's jaw locked as she bites the words out, "Stop. This isn't you!"

She made another strike on her upper caff, forcing Danielle completely onto the ground as pain scratched and clawed through her, almost numbing the world around her.

The figure finally spoke. "Just stay out of my way."

Fighting through the pain that coursed through her, Danielle somehow managed to stumble to her feet, nothing but determination and sheer willpower being her only foundation to stand on at this point. "No."

Jazz swung again, with Danielle instinctively catching the staff. "I won't let you go down this path."

Jazz activated the electricity, Danielle's grasp still firm. Danielle let out a yell of extreme pain as she forced her hand closed shattering the end of the staff.

Jazz quickly adjusted her stance ready to strike with the now jagged rod when the sparks from the broken device illuminated Danielle's eyes in the darkness.

Crystal blue.

Not electrical green.

Not the eyes she had expected to see when she looked to her niece.

The entire time Jazz had been attacking her, not once was Danielle in her ghost form. The sound of the staff hitting the hard ground echoed through the alley as she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as her niece held her tightly in her arms.

Realization dawned on Danielle as she held the broken woman in her arms, the empty sobs were that racked her were weak, tired and just _empty_. Her _aunt_ was empty. _It doesn't matter how short or how long he sits on his throne. If Vlad can do this to someone like Jazz, then nothing I say or do will ever stop his rampage. We have to stop him. No matter the cost._

* * *

 **Again, sorry for the wait. Hopefully, this makes up for it! Please read and review, and with luck, we might just be back on our normal schedule**


	22. Chapter 22: Destiny Awaits

**Oh my gosh, I am so sorry for the wait. Life has been crazy! I can't go into detail, but I really do apologize for the wait that it took to get this chapter out. I swear, I will get the chapters back to a routine schedule some day. Thank you to all who stood by the story, Love you guys!**

* * *

Danielle stepped out of the house, ready for whatever came next. After seeing what that monster had turned Jazz into, it was clear that he could no longer continue to wreak havoc over her world.

As she walked outside, she could see him floating above the shield in all his dramatic splendor. Her hand was clenched around the spectator protector. He hands still shaking in anger. She walked to the edge of town and threw the belt outside the shield.

"Thank, you, my child." His words pointed and harsh.

With each step, the echo of the dirt filled the town. Behind her was every single member of her family ready at a moment's notice for whatever he had planned.

He phased through the shield and landed a good 10 meters away, his taunting smile tethering on the edge of his lips. "So, how long are we going to draw this out before you just come with? Do you have a long speech planned of how I will never win and how you will never truly love me as your father? Because I have some earth shattering news for you: I no longer care."

"You are my creation, my property. I don't give a damn about what you feel. It's only a matter of time before I fix whatever nonsense they have filled your head with. Until then, everything you say holds nothing to me. Now, come here by my side where you belong, Danielle."

The was a moment of silence before she spoke. "No."

He let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry, that wasn't a question!" His hair erupted into burning flame as he rose from the ground. "I am your creator, I am your master and I am the ruler of this world!"

Danielle looked up in disgust. "You're nothing but a pawn. A desperate child who couldn't even save his own mother. Did you ever wonder why the moment you were born her lifetime of good luck just seemed to run out? She was never lucky she was protected so that you could come about. You talk about all the power you yield, yet, you never once had held victory in your demented grasp. Now, that you are so close you're letting your accomplishments blind you to what's been under your nose this whole time. This isn't about you!"

Vlad looked down upon her with disgust. As he remembered the hell that she had created inside his own mind he remembered seeing hooded figures with a single hideous eye. His disgust soon turned to anger. "Thank you, my child."

Danielle and her family looked up in shock as Vlad ascended outside the shield, leaving the phasing belt to fall to the ground.

* * *

The observance watched carefully through their cracked screen as terror broke out across the earth, destroying everything and everyone in its pathway like wildfire.

The observer looked to his companion, glee bouncing in his eyes. "Everything is transpiring according to plan. Nearly a century of planning and it all comes to a head."

In the darkroom, a hooded figure with glowing red eyes and large facial scar stood, blocking the doorway. They turned their attention from the screen to the newcomer. "Ah, Clockwork, I see you have finally come around. I'm so glad that we can put this behind us and end this silly game."

The doors behind him slammed shut as the room filled with darkness— save for the illumination of the broken screen.

Their eyes stayed locked on the outline of the figure, waiting for him to come into the light to reveal his all knowing face. "Clockwork... is there really such a need to be so dramatic?"

But as the figure spoke, they realized one thing: it wasn't Clockwords voice that carried through the darkness. "All my life I had to fight for everything others just had."

Both observants backed away slowly, inching closer to the screen as one dared to speak. "Excuse me?"

It floated closer, feet barely brushing against the floor as he made his way towards them. "There were days my mother and I didn't have food, other days my father beat us to the point where we couldn't stomach the thought of eating."

They bit back the fear that blazed through their blob bodies. "You're not Clockwork! Leave us."

Vlad lowered his hood as his vision tinted red. "All those years of suffering. Every strike of my father's hand, every drop of blood and sweat my mother spilled just so that I could have a normal life! It was all you!"

"Listen, my child. We were only doing what was best for y-"

The observant was silenced as ecto trickled down his abdomen.

Vlad's lips cracked apart as he let loose a low snarl, the fire from his blast sizzling on the edges of his fingertips in clear view. "She died trying to give me what you took away from her."

The other observant stood tall, even as his voice wavered with fear. "You must stop this! We have worked for centuries to get to this point. You are to be their king!"

Vlad rushed over to the observant, only appearing as a blur to their vision. "What is a king to a god?"

The crack echoed throughout the room.

"You are deranged!" Vlad cracked his neck up to the source of the voice. One of the observants that were perched up high, just out of sight, masked by shadows, growled out. "We created you! You were to ensure our power last for eternity!"

Ecto burst, and splattered onto the wall behind him. "I will ask you the same thing I asked my father before the life left his eyes." Vlad kneeled down and looked into the fading eye of the least observant.

 _"Does this feel like power?"_

Standing up, he skirted over to the exit, looking back at his handy work with a perverse joy in his heart. "Maybe I was thinking too small."

* * *

The door closed behind Vlad as he looked out to see nearly every remaining ghost stand before him. A few familiar faces stood out against the coward. One such as that mangy beast from the ice land, if Vlad could remember correctly. "Care to give me a pat on the back or just your undying loyalty. Honestly, both would be okay at the moment."

Frostbite stood strong, rigged in front of the small army that he led. "Vladimir Franklin Masters, for too long have we sat back and watched heroes of Earth stand against you in solitude. We have seen both blood and Ecto spill in your wake and we are here to put an end to your madness! What do you say, demon?"

An expression that could be only labeled as boredom splashed against Vlad's face before a spine-chilling smirk broke out. He tilted his head to the side as he gave a lazy roll of his shoulders. "I just took out over fifty years of pent-up rage and aggression. What's five minutes more?"

The snow beast's eyes narrowed in acceptance of his challenge. "So be it."

Floating above the rest, Frostbite let out a savage yell as they all charged the madman. His strike upon Vlad's face was the first to land followed by a wave of energy shattering his back curiosity of Ember's guitar. His bones cracked as he turned to rip the instrument out of her hand.

"Enough noise!" Swing after swing, Vlad struck the guitar against her and Frostbite.

Skull-tech rushed Vlad from behind, striking his chin, leaving a large dent in the mechanical vessel the two ghosts shared.

Releasing the remains of the guitar into the void below, he reattached his loose jaw. "You are all pathetic. Ant's below my heel begging for the merciful release of oblivion. While you were all born of suffering, I lived through it my entire life!"

Vlad placed a hand on skull-tech's chest as light began to surround the armor. In an instant, the only thing that remained of the technological behemoth was Skull-tech's true form, clinging desperately to the hard drive that held his partner's essence as the remains of his armor floated around them. "That's all any of you really are. Hollow echoes of true greatness."

He reached out his arm, aiming at two frightened beings.

Frostbite rushed forward, sinking his claw's into Vlad's chest, forcing his aim off just enough for the two tiny titans to survive the blast. "The only one hollow here stands before me!"

Each of the spectators exchanged blows in lightning speed, making sure to evade and counter strike whenever possible. "And what is the sad backstory behind you? Did little Timmy let Lassy play on the freeway or were you thrown out in the cold like the unwanted mutt you are!"

Frostbite lounged forward and took a large chunk of flesh out of Vlad's neck.

"The death of the first werewolf!"

Vlad's eyes widen in surprise as the flesh sewed back together seamlessly, leaving no pain, no mark in the place of the bite. "Wait _first_?"

Frostbite struck him in the stomach with Vlad returning the strike to Frostbites right eye, causing him to spit out the rotten flesh, the only evidence that Frostbite had any victory in the fight.

Vlad stood over the weakened ghost. "What's a matter dog, bit off more than you can chew?"

Rubbing his wounded eye, Frostbite looked back to the monster with a smile. "I'm just not used to my meat being overly expired." Frostbite took another lounge at Vlad being caught mid-air and thrown to the only solid ground in sight as he struggled to get off of the observance steps.

Vlad rushed down and grasp the frozen spectator by the fur of his throat. "You should have stayed out of this dog!"

Frostbite's grin only spread further at the sight of his attacker. "Don't worry. I think we both will soon."

The blade of the fright-knight plunged through Vlad and Frostbite pinning them to the ground. The breath taken out of Frostbite's breast, the knight looked down upon the two as they could not move."You can thank a certain waitress for returning that which belongs to me. Apologies for having to strike this through you, too, Frostbite. I saw my only chance to cut him down."

Frostbite nodded in understanding.

Vlad coughed from his where he laid, ecto staining his cold skin. "You won't let him suffer an eternity of torment and fear just to stop me."

Fightnight's gleaned with mirth. "You're right. Or at least, you would be if we were on Earth. Here, it works a little differently. Here, it's just a blade like any other with one exception. It cancels ghostly powers. Frostbite knows of the atrocities you have committed. We all know. Anyone of us would be willing to take the blade if it meant the end of you and while we can't kill you, I'll just have to take solace in seeing you impaled to that rock for the rest of eternity. Funny that with all that stolen power, your destiny is to lie be pinned to the ground by a mere ghost. You should have just stayed on earth with the rest of the humans."

Everyone blinked in fear as Vlad smiled once more, his flesh began to wither away and his ghostly aura dissipated, causing him to pass through the sword.

"Funny how once weakness becomes ones strength."

Picking up the blade, Vlad raised his knee and struck the blunt end against it, shattering the sword into pieces. An evil grin spread across his face as he saw the proud knight fade out of existence.

Still gasping for breath, Frostbite reached into his pouch and grasp the infamap with all his strength. "Take... me... to... Danielle."

The void in front of Vlad shone brightly as a blur streaks across the sky leaving him behind and frostbite nowhere in sight.

* * *

Danielle sat on the couch with Tucker and her Dad when Frostbite crashed unto the coffee table in front of them, shattering the wooden frame.

Tucker pulled Danielle to his side, whether it was for her protection, or his own, he wasn't sure at the moment. "Sweet Christmas!"

"Vlad... Vlad has taken the ghost zone..." With his words spoken, Frostbite slipped out of consciousness.

Danielle ripped herself from Tucker's side and jumped to her feet. "Mom! ecto medical supplies! Now!"

"Would it have killed him to knock?" Tucker asked.

Kneeling over the unconscious beast, Danielle lightly ran her hands over his fur, looking over every visible injury. "By the looks of him, it might actually have." Danielle sniffed the air. "What is that smell?"

Dan looked at the group, backing away slowly. "He scared me, okay?! Oh, like none of you hadn't had it happen before. Izzy, we have a code brown!"

A voice from somewhere upstairs yelled back. "Gosh, damnit! I just bought you those last month!"

Danielle raised her voice just enough for her aunt top hear. "How often does this happen to him?"

Izzy soon appeared at the top of the staircase, bounding down the steps that had led from their temporary room. "I don't want to talk about it."

Danielle's voice was small as she whispered more to herself than anyone in the room. "I just hope he'll make it. I don't think we can deal with another loss."

Danny looked at his daughter with a hint of optimism. "We won't have to. Now, come on, we should get him downstairs."

* * *

The harsh light was the first thing to greet Frostbite in the world of the living. "Where am I?"

The voices were still too far off for him to recognize at the moment as his mind slowly came to. He rapidly blinked his eyes back into reality. "In our lab, more specifically the medical section."

The next voice was more clear: Jazz Fenton. "Yeah, and you can thank me that I have some knowledge of both ecto anatomy and European mythology." Jazz stated in a sarcastic tone.

Propping himself onto his elbows, Frostbite took in the group around him, every Fenton— and Tucker Foley— being there. "European mythology?"

Jazz rolled her eyes. "Werewolf, genius."

Danny eyed his sister as he took a few steps back in shock. "I'm sorry, what!?"

Jazz ignored her brother's sudden shock at the new found information. "By the state you were in, I figure you maybe had two hours tops, if you didn't make it to us. If you are going to stay here, do me a favor and don't shed on the couch."

Frostbit glanced at Danny as Jazz left the room. "Is she alright? I don't remember her being this..."

Danny's gaze stared blankly at an empty lab wall. "She's going through a lot right now but it's not you, I promise."

"Even so, when one builds walls around their heart, they keep out friends and enemies alike."

Danny returned his attention back to Frostbite, shaking off the thoughts of his sister for the time being. "It's hard to find any friends at the moment. That's why we were so surprised to see you. What all happened?"

Frostbite could feel his strength slowly start to seep in. Shifting his weight, he swung his legs over the edge of the metal table. "I shall tell you, but in exchange for a rare delicacy."

"Anything, what is it?"

"You see those bone shaped biscuits on the counter over there." He pointed to a jar that sat in place among the rack of books on the counter.

Danny's eyes moved back and forth between his old friend and the jar across the way. "You can't mean Cujo's dog treats."

"Do not judge my unique flavor palette, Danny Fenton!"

After a short laugh, Danielle transformed and searched the house to find her pain-stricken aunt.

* * *

The halfa found her on the balcony, the upper half of her torso bowed over the railing with her arms resting on the summer heated metal. Danielle kept her distance making sure not to advertise her presence.

"I can hear you, Danielle. I've trained myself to hear someone phasing after Danny tried to borrow my car keys."

Danielle couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her. "Oh, yeah, I remember that. You'd think that someone who phases through walls on a daily basis would be smart enough to phase a car all the way through the school cafeteria."

Jazz gave a dry chuckle herself. "Yeah, that was great. Wasn't he trying to impress Sam because it was eco-friendly?"

Danielle leaned her side against the door frame, crossing both her arms over her chest and interlocking her ankles over the other. "Yup, although it's not so eco-friendly when the fire spread to the school greenhouse."

"Didn't she throw a cactus at him?"

"Oh yeah. Nailed him right on the ass too."

Jazz's tense shoulders loosened and relaxed just a bit. "Gosh, I love that woman's fire. How is your mom holding up right now?"

Danielle gave a small shrug. "As good as she can, I guess. She's just happy that for now, I'm not in the custody of a maniac."

"You know, when people talk trash about their ex, it's usually dramatized. I just can't..."

Jazz's words trailed off, but Danielle still caught the meaning of what she was saying. "It's okay. Nobody expects you to be good right now. It's okay not to be okay. Everyone is going through some shit. But we just have to keep it together."

That made her turn around to face her niece, eyes puffed red and her cheeks dusted rosey red from nights of pain stricken tears. "I guess I was pretty rough on Frostbite, wasn't I?"

Danielle smiled. "Yeah, just a bit."

"I think I'll make him a nice apology steak."

Danielle pushed herself off from her place, moving closer to her aunt. "Don't forget to leave the bone in."

The two stood in silence for a moment or two before the sound of someone shrieking overtook their ears. "No ghost dog, please, don't eat me!"

"Danielle, where are the Cujos?"

"I'm not sure."

"Go check downstairs, I can handle this." Jazz jumped off the second story balcony, shooting a grappling hook on a nearby building.

Danielle gaped in awe at the sudden charge of her aunt. "Why do you just have that on you?!"

Jass swung down to the street below, landing in front of the scrawny ginger haired man that was sprawled out in the empty road. "Cujo! Sit!" The gigantic dog sat instantly giving Jazz a slobbery kiss on her cheek. "Okay, flame head, what was he chasing you for?"

"I think he was after the hotdog I was eating."

Jazz stared at the man simply dumbfounded. "The world's going to shit and you are walking around mowing on hotdogs?!"

He picked himself off the ground, dusting the rubble from his clothes. "Hey, gotta eat, don't I?"

"Yeah, but who thinks hotdog when going for a walk?"

He shrugged. "I was tired of cheese puffs."

Jazz's face contorted in a way no man could properly describe. "Who the hell are you anyway?"

He crossed the small distance between them, holding his hand out in a greeting. "Oh, the name's Wes. And you are?"

She looked at his outstretched hand for a moment, wondering whether or not to take it, deciding last minute to do so, briefly. "Jazz Fenton."

His eyes widen as his hand dropped back to his side. "Fenton. You must be Danny's sister!"

Placing her hands on her hips, Jazz couldn't contain an eye roll. "Let me guess. you knew him in high school and you want his autograph?"

"No, if anything, I just want to know what moron screams "I'm going ghost!" when they're trying to keep their identity a secret."

Jazz's jaw nearly hit the ground. "Someone finally gets it! I mean, is it really that hard to understand?"

Wes laughed. "We should exchange stories one day. It seems like my fiance and I were the only ones to notice that stupid battle cry before he came out to the world."

She huffed out a small chuckle as a soft grin— _almost_ genuine— took its place on the edge of her lips. "Wow, sounds like you have a smart woman on your hands. Make sure to keep her."

Wes looked away, thinking of what should have been. "She passed during the parade."

Even though she knew deep down it wasn't her fault, Jazz still felt responsible. Everything that bastard had done and she had no clue that she was living with a monster. "I'm sorry for your loss. Listen, I have to get back to my family but we should meet up sometime and exchange those stories."

Just before she left, she grabbed the remainder of the hotdog out of Wes's hand and threw it to Cujo.

 _"Hey!"_

Without turning back, she continued on her pathway to home. "I'll have my sister-in-law make you something better!"

Danielle phased through the ground once she made it to the steps of the Fenton Works. "Looks like someone was flirting."

Jazz shook her head, moving past the twenty two year old. "Yeah, no. He's nice, but considering I just got stabbed in the back less than a week ago, I'm not going near any man anytime soon."

Danielle nodded as she followed Jazz inside. "I understand entirely. I know as well as anyone can what that bastard can do to a person... But those would be some very ginger kids."

Thrusting her elbow into Danielle's side, Jazz gave a noncommittal hum. "Yeah, yeah, just get your ass inside before I kick it there."

Passing through the entryway, Danielle noticed the one last glance over her shoulder that Jazz gave to the furthering man before she clicked the door shut. "You know, when the time does come, you can talk to us. You don't have to be alone in this and kicking ass every night isn't going to solve it either."

Jazz remained silent with only the sound of a single drop of rain pattering against the window breaking the silence between them.

* * *

With the sun setting on a cloudless day, Danny walked into the bedroom Sam and them shared.

She had the tv on mute when he closed the door and a laptop in her lap as her fingers brushed against the keyboard. "Little Shop of Horrors?"

She looked up from her scree, the pale white reflecting off her face. "Yep, it was the only "normal" thing I liked of her's as a kid. She even took us to see it on Broadway when I was a kid. Eventually, she picked up on how I liked it because the Killer Plant was eating people and she shied away from it for a while. Still, I remember her holding back laughter at some of the more... well, sadistic humor it had."

Crossing the short distance, Danny tumbled into the bed, taking the laptop and shutting it closed as he pulled his wife to his side. "Wait, it's about a plant that eats people."

Sam nuzzled her head into his neck, accepting the comfort the man brought. "And takes over the world at the end."

"Yeah, no, that is 100% you."

"Yup." Sam let out a small sigh. "We watched it once last year on Danielle's birthday."

He laughed as he pressed a small kiss to her temple. "I remember that. Didn't your mom buy out the theater for that day just for the three of you?"

"Yeah, while you and Tucker were preparing for her surprise party."

"We almost got the wrong cake too. But that's what happens when you don't speak fluent French when ordering from a Parisian Bakery."

"Or you could have gotten her a cake in town, like a normal person."

He pulled back to look her directly in the eyes. "We both know you didn't marry me for normal."

Sam scoffed, her amethyst eyes dancing with playfulness. "If that's not true..."

A beat passed before Danny decided to approach the subject. "How're you doing?"

The happy, light air seemed to fade a bit from the room. "I'm... okay. I'm just still processing everything but I'm happy that we still have Danielle. That's what matters in the end."

Grabbing her wrist, Danny tugged her along as he moved to the edge of the bed. "Speaking of people we have here, Frostbite's in the lab if you wanna give him a visit. You know you're his favorite."

Her eyebrow rose in suspsion. "Really? Wasn't Mr. "Hero of the Ghost Zone" his favorite?"

"I was until you found that one spot under his chin he likes scratched."

"You realize how ridiculous it is that the king of the Ghost Zone is basically a talking German Shepherd when it comes to his habits."

"He told me it was a greeting among his people."

"Just be happy that that's their greeting."

"So, you wanna pet the big King puppy?"

Sam sat up with a smile. "Sure."

* * *

The family had all gathered around Frostbite as he recounted his epic battle with Vlad and how it took everything he had just to gain the upper hand when he did. "Still, it was in vain. The strongest of the Ghost Zone and we couldn't hold him off for more than mere minutes. Now, I lay here when I should be with my people trying to fight back and figure out our next move."

Jazz padded up to the snow monster, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Try not to stress yourself too much. it's not good in the condition you're in."

He gave a grateful smile in return of the huntress kindness, shifting off the table that he had laid for hours of his recovery. "Thank you, Jazz. I am sorry to hear about the distress he has caused you. In my culture, we would have him placed in a hole while you would bombard him with rotten tuna."

"Wow, really?" Tucker asked.

A laugh rumbled from his chest as he gave an honest jolly laugh. "No, but I thought it might cheer the room a bit with the thought of him being slapped with a fish."

Jazz gave him a small smile, while it didn't reach her eyes, it still placed some warmth onto her face. "Thanks, it actually did."

Danny stepped up next to Jazz. "Now, what do we do? He not only has the Earth under his power, but now he's going after the Ghost Zone, too?"

Frostbite went over to the control panel, taking Danny;s hand and placing it on the scanner, and letting the room be washed in glowing electrcial green. "We should warn the regions of his presence. The average ghost should take shelter while the stronger ones should do their best to protect the others who can't. Other than that I know not what to do. He is too powerful for any ghost to fight. Still, I worry not everyone will be able to seek shelter from his terror."

Danielle perked up with enthusiasm. "Do you still have contact with Pandora?"

Frostbite smiled at the halfa. "Yes, she even sits on my counsel."

Danielle nodded in approval. "Good. Here's what we're gonna do, we have Pandora release the contents of the box in one of the void portions of the Ghost Zone, and those who can't find refuge will be sealed into the box. Vlad will not even think of looking for it and it will keep them safe for the time being."

"That is a really good idea honey!" Tucker shouted, wrapping his arms securely around her waist and lifting her into the air as he gave a quick spin. "There's just one thing we're all glancing over."

Danielle glanced at her boyfriend, a questioning look in her crystal gaze. "What's that, sweetie?"

Tucker lost all his cool in that one moment. _"He's a werewolf_! As in werewolves _exist!_ Are just not going to talk about this!?"

Danielle shared a glance with the rest of the group before she just gave a boneless shrug of her shoulders. "Meh"

A puff of air passed his lips in disbelief as he shook his head and turned towards the staircase. "Whatever. If you need me I'm going to go upstairs and grab some garlic because who knows, if we have werewolves I'm not going to risk vampires. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Lancer was a day-walker."

* * *

 **Thank you again, your support means everything. I hope you enjoyed. Until next time!**


	23. Chapter 23:What Lies Before Us

**I'm so sorry for the wait! Life just has not stopped from being hectic. Ugh, I swear! Anyway, i hope you guys enjoy, and i'll try to get the next chapter in sooner. Thank you for all the support! Love you guys!**

* * *

The room was filled with dust as the constant fights taking place outside the small office had left its mark. Pictures lined the walls. Memories, happy smiles, and stories that told of easier times, and then Jazz's eyes shifted to several boxes stacked neatly on her desk and reality slowly crept its way back in as it always did these days.

This wouldn't be her office for a while.

She needed a break, she needed to breathe. And she just couldn't do that here. She couldn't counsel lost people when she felt like she was missing something herself.

With a heavy heart, she had told her family she would be taking a break from being a therapist at Casper High for now. She needed to focus on her main objective: help her family track down Vlad, and end him.

Jazz began to pace the room as the hollow feeling of what the space represented to her started to close in on her— drowning everything that had started to surface.

Dan had gone ahead and taken out any photo with Vlad in them. It was strange how many times he was afraid to enter that room with her and relive his actions, yet, the moment she hesitated to open the door, he didn't take a moment to do what was needed.

She was tired of everything and at this point, _sorry_ had lost it weight to her long ago. If there was anyone at that moment that did understand her, it was Dan. Ever since the death of Pamela, Dan had been there for her but not in the way the rest of the family was. They all loved her and would do anything just to see her happy, but in Pamela's death and Roy's reveal, everyone in her life had changed and she did too. But through it all, the one constant was Dan.

While he did care, he did something nobody else could, something they hadn't even thought of.

He stayed the same.

He still joked, he still walked around in his boxers like he owned the place, but most importantly, he treated everyone like it was just another day fighting ghost and kicking ass.

To almost anybody else, they would think he was some kind of monster, their entire families world just collapsed in the span of 24 hours, yet, he remained constant. In doing so, he was the only thing that seemed truly real. He didn't do it to be an asshole, no. He did it because they needed him to. In their shattered world, he was the one thing that didn't break.

"Hey, sis. What'd you want me to do with Shitface's pictures? We gonna burn them or clay pigeons these babies?"

She gave a little smile as she looked at an old photo. The air swirled with stiffed tension around them in the cramped office, but neither addressed it. "Do whatever you want with them. I don't care."

He did it a little dist pump in happiness at the approval. "Woo hoo! I'm gonna keep one and burn the rest. Next time that creep shows up, I'm gonna chuck the one with the heaviest frame and see if I can catch him in that ugly ass face scar."

Jazz scoffed at his remark. "I can't believe Danny's the mature one."

He huffed as he moved closer to his sister to ruffle her now short ginger locks. "Yeah well, sticks and stones, little sis."

"I _am_ technically older than you."

"That's debatable. In my book, experience outranks everything."

Stepping out of his reach and to the couch that was set up for her patiences, Jazz threw one of the decorative pillows at his face. "Then I definitely outrank you."

In the corner of her eye, she saw a picture of her and her younger brother still in high school. It was strange, seeing a photo of him without Danielle or Sam hiding somewhere in the background.

"I still feel guilty for what happened with Danielle."

Any playful demeanor that Dan held— or that she had even— instantly dropped. "You don't have to, she forgave you."

A chilling pause.

"I'm broken."

"I know."

She looked to her older brother. She saw the solemn expression that sat on the remorse of what he buried beneath. It wasn't pity, that much she was sure of, but it was understanding. An unspoken understanding between a brother and sister that said so many things. And among all the unspoken words, one thing rang clear: _I won't let him hurt you again_.

Setting the framed picture in the moving box, Jazz twisted her upper body to get a better look at Dan and continued her train of thought. "And I don't I know if I can every fix myself."

He grasped her hand into his. "It'll take time. Just because you're broken, doesn't mean you can't be put back together. It just takes time, like everything does. And a bit of love."

Her eyes gravitated to her feet, shame coiling in her stomach. "What if it's not enough?"

Dan sighed. "I once thought that I'd be alone forever. That I lost everything I wanted, everything I needed, was gone. Now, I tuck my two and five year old in at bedtime, getting goodnight kisses and I go to bed cuddling an amazing wife that honestly, I never knew could exist again. I didn't deserve her, yet the universe gave her back to me."

Jazz gave a dry chuckle. "I feel like being happy again, having my life back, being _me_ , it's…. so out of reach, its almost like… like-"

"A fantasy?" Dan finished for her, "Yeah, and it's not gonna go away for a while. As much as you wish it, it'll haunt for years to come. But trust me when I say this, one day you will wake up, and the gnawing burning ache in your chest'll only be a minor sting in the background if you stay strong enough."

Jazz took a deep intake of suffocating stuffy office air. Gathering her courage, Jazz tore her eyes away from the ground to meet Dan's. "How do you think they're doing right now?"

Dan's shoulder's went rigged for a moment as he pondered the question. He knew the subject would eventually come to this. "I'm sure they're fine."

* * *

"We are _so_ not fine right now!" Danny quickly did everything he could to dodge the blast from one of the many Vlad clones that were trailing them with ease.

His daughter— who was barely in arms lengths of him at the moment— locked her gaze with him as she tried to keep her breath with the pace she was running at. "Yeah, well, he keeps missing so there's that!"

He shot the twenty two year old a short glare, dogging several rapid blasts that almost hit his ribcage. "Yeah, he keeps missing you! I almost got an unwanted ear piercing a second ago. Yet, every shot he fires at you, _misses by a mile!"_

She gave a small roll of her shoulders before catching up to him just in time to push her dad out of the way of an unseen Vlad clone that had snuck up on him. "Well, maybe I still have a special spot in his heart!"

Sarcasm dripped at the edge of his voice as he plastered a fake smile on his face. "That's so sweet, now can we get going before he puts a special hole in mine!" Danny raised his hands in order to create a shield around the two, giving them temporary protection.

Danielle parted the lining of her bag that was draped on her torso, digging into the contents, trying to find the intended item. "I'm looking, okay?! Having an extra-dimensional handbag isn't as fun as you would think!"

Danny gritted his teeth as he pushed back several attacks from more than a dozen Vlad's. "You know the statement a purse is like a black hole is usually a stereotype!"

"Got it!" Danielle quickly took out the Infi-map out of her bag and grasped her dad's arm.

 _"Home!"_

In an instant, the two of them beamed across the sky making their way back to Fenton Works.

Danielle collided headfirst into her dad's chest, thankfully breaking most of her fall and softing the impact of the wooden bedroom floor— as least for her— _sorry, Dad_. "Whoo, I forgot how fun that was!"

Propering himself up onto his elbows, he raised a eyebrow at the younger halfa. "We have had the dang thing as an app for the last three years, how is the Infi-map more "fun"?"

Leaping to her feet, she offered a hand to her dad to lift him as well. "I don't know, it just never taste right. It's cheap and nasty and for some reason always has a slight copper taste to it."

He looked at her as if she had two heads. "You're insane."

Danielle beamed. "Yep. Just like my Dad." And sent him a knowing wink.

Danny let out a sigh as a voice burst out laughing.

Two heads snapped to up and to the side, both halfa's finally taking notice of her presence in the room, laying casually on the bed with a computer with some codes that Jazz had sent her loaded on the screen, Sam was carefully watching the interaction between father and daughter.

Gesturing to both his wife and daughter, Danny replied, "What? She's half you, too!"

Rolling her eyes, Sam completely ignored her husband, pushed herself off the bed, sidestepped him, and placed a loving kiss on the crown of Danielle's head. "Sweetie, could you please go see if Grandpa needs help with lunch."

Eyeing her mom suspiciously, Danielle shrugged off her sudden bout of happiness, quickly transformed back into human and slipped out of the bedroom and into the hallway where the stairs lead down to the living room. "Yeah... Whatever you say, Mom."

Danny couldn't figure for the life of him what she was laughing at. She was used to the two of them exchanging their quips so after the week they have had why now did she find them funny. "You seem to be... well."

"I'm happy, dipshit."

He watched her carefully. "I know….. I just thought…. that."

Sam walked up to him and slugged him on the arm. "Yeah, I know. She's gone and I'm still sad, but at the same time, she spent the past eight years trying to make up for the sixteen that came before. So, if all I do is just sit around and mope, then all her effort would have been in vain. That's not what she'd want."

She hugged her Danny, planting a light kiss on his lips. "Also, the Infi-map left your pants in the Ghost Zone, and you have a bad habit of not buttoning things."

Danny quickly ran to the closest to pick out another pair of pants.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Sam looked on with amusement as Danny scrambled for his new pair of pants. "I take it went well?"

Slipping into his pants, the halfa shrugged. "For the most part. We got everyone to safety, but it seemed like it was always a close call. There's just one thing I don't get. The entire time Vlad was chasing us down with his clones, not once did he hit Danielle. Even stranger, whenever Danielle and I were together he didn't hit me either. Don't get me wrong, he sure as hell tried, but if it would have been years ago, he would've thrown us around like rag dolls."

Sam seemed to process the information, her eyes glazed over with thought. "It could be that some part of him still wants her on his side."

Danny shook his head. "That's the thing, I just don't know anymore. When we were in high school he was a fruitloop but now he just seems completely unstable. It's like something Inside him just severed."

"I would imagine that dying could do that to a person. From what I understand of it, he's constantly holding to life by all the ecto energy he had taken. Living like that can't pleasant."

Another thought bombed his brain, washing out any other thought. "How many people ...did he... have to-"

Closing the distance between them in one stride, Sam cupped his cheeks, forcing his gaze directly into hers. "Don't do that to yourself. We need you with us, not lost in the doubts of your head."

Danny sat on the bed in silence, trying his best not to be overcome by all that monster had taken from them. "Did Jazz get back yet?"

Looking to her phone to short second, Sam shook her head. "I don't think so. If she did, you'd you probably have heard Dan stomping around."

Danny nodded in agreement. "He seems to be taking things well lately. All things considered."

"Yes... and…. no."

He lifted his gaze from the floor. "What'd you mean?"

She gave a soft smile. "Yes, in that he is being well... Dan, but he's not doing well. He hides it but it's hit him just as hard as everybody else. He stayed the same so that while everyone's world shattered they would have some small piece of normalcy. Last night I heard him on the roof talking to himself. You have to remember that when we went to the ruins of his old timeline my mother and father were still alive. All the wrongs he had committed, all the lives taken, in his grief and anguish and yet he never so much as touched them."

Danny hummed at her words, slowly trying to swallow all that she was saying. "I never thought about that."

Sam nodded, no one really thought about it. "Even with Izzy being in this timeline, she lost her mother when she was young. Remembering her past life and being reunited with our mom... I can't imagine what that is like and I'm literally her."

Danny still hadn't been able to process everything that came with the loss of Pamela. It seemed that as each day passed a different layer of sorrow showed itself to them. He had always done his best to fight off the bad guy of the week, but in his heart, he knew this was going to be the endgame.

Whether it was the end for Vlad, or for him, still remained to be unseen.

* * *

He stared in awe of the spectacle that was Frostbites castle. Everything about the architecture screamed with the beauty of Dark-age Transylvania yet the way the ice crystals reflected the strange anomaly that was the earth-like sky found only above the far-frozen.

His steps crunched in the fresh snow beneath his boots. There was something nostalgic feeling walking in the snow. It reminded him of the grace of Wisconsin winters, and the harsh unforgiving cold that came with it. If the dogs planned on using this weather to their advantage they were in for a harsh and unforgiving, lesson.

* * *

Darkness fell upon Amity once more. The news was the same as it had been for the last week. Food was starting to become scarce, and authorities all over the world did their best to keep people in a calm state. Thinking back, the only gigantic threat the whole world ever faced was the disasteriod. Danny wasn't sure how long this could go on for.

He could only hope he would soon have an answer and could stop the terror that persisted around the globe.

Something told him hope was beginning to wear thin.

* * *

The gate was easier to take down than anticipated. Vlad had spent years searching through hidden libraries since his liberation. Every hex and enchantment was nothing when you knew how to undo them. The look on the mutts faces when he walked through their gate— without lifting a single finger— was pleasing to him. The fear in their eyes. One of the wolves stepped forward, a dark purple sash around his torso.

"We howl at this man who stands under our moon! We bear our teeth and claw and will give him no ground to walk upon. We are the wolves of the night and the Far Frozen shall echo with our growls for eternity!"

A smile crept onto Vlad's face at the thought of a challenge. "So be it, dogs. I hope you put up a better fight than your master."

The entirety of the Far Frozen let out a glorious howl as every wolf in the courtyard rushed towards Vlad, holding nothing back as they unleashed all the power that they possessed.

* * *

An ear piercing howl came from the basement, causing the Fentons to run downstairs as fast as their feet would allow. Danny burst the door open with a plasma blast. "Frostbite, what's happening!?"

The snow beast laid on the chilling tile floor, ecto leaking from several open gashes lasered from his skin underneath his fur, which matted into the usually clean white coat. Almost his whole bottom row of his teeth had been ripped from his gums while bruises masked his face.

As he curled into himself, Frostbite growled out, "Pain! Horrible pain!"

Danny scanned the room for any possible danger, but found none. "What hurts?"

"Everyone. Everyone hurts!"

"Frostbite!"

The great beast went limp as his eyes began to glow crimson red. Rising from his cot he spoke in a voice that he did not possess.

Vlad's voice.

"Young, Daniel. The more I take, the more I lose. You are their beacon of hope and so long as you live they will stand against me. I grow tired of fighting those who cannot truly oppose me and until your demise, they will never get the message."

Shivers crawled down everyone's spine as the beast pushed himself off the floor, easily regained his strength as Vlad overtook his begin from wherever he hid in the Zone.

The haunting voice continued. "So, I will make you a similar deal to the one I made with my child. I will leave your pathetic family be. In return, you will face me in the center of Amity and you will do so alone. There will be no hope for this or any world once you are finished. No tricks, no plans. You and I Daniel. This time you will have one day and after that, I will show these worlds through your blood that I will and cannot be stopped."

* * *

 **See you guys next time!**


	24. Chapter 24: A Night Forever

**School and work. It's a pain the ass and takes up a lot of your time, but it's great too. I'm really trying to not space theses updates so far apart, but there are times when it becomes near impossible. Thank you for everyone who has stuck with us. I think we're nearing the end soon. Love you all!**

* * *

Timelines... Timelines were the first thing Danny thought of.

In the past, it was something strange and for the most part, something he didn't even think of, yet, as he stood in the corner of the lab, he just wondered what would happen to his future children. DJ, Lilith. If he died, he wasn't just failing the world he would prevent the lives of his own children. Clockwork had been treating this like one giant chess match, yet, to them it was real.

He couldn't just hop into another timeline and set up shop. This was his life and his world.

Across the room, Sam could hear the squeaking of Danny's shoes as he nervously paced back and forth. She knew just as well as him what was at stake. For most people, they only dream about what their families are going to be like but to see that dream made flesh. People all over the world were looking for answers that they didn't have, but as selfish as it might be, she couldn't find herself focus on them.

Right now, her husband and partner were going to throw himself into the lion's den. Everything they had fought for, all those years wasted guessing on whether or not the other felt the same. It couldn't end like this. Their history, their friendship, their love. It couldn't end like this.

"Sam."

The world fell silent as she heard her voice called by her alternate self.

Izzy looked into her eyes with sadness written on her own. "Be with him, whatever you do today, just be with him."

Sam's heart skipped a beat when she saw the look on Izzy's face. Turning back around, Sam slowly walked over to Danny, grabbing his arms and pulled him up the steps. He too was lost in thought yet the look on Sam's face snapped him back to reality.

"Sam? Where are we going?"

She didn't say a word as tears streamed down her face. In the living room, she could see Danielle sitting on the couch. Passing by, she scooped the 22-year-old over her shoulder— easily ignoring the cry of protest from Father and daughter— and walk the two of them into the kitchen.

Once they were settled in front of the tame goth, Danny glanced between both women. "Okay, what's happening?"

Sam opened the pantry and pulled out a large bag of flour, smacking it down on the kitchen table.

His eyes traced the bag slowly. "Flour... Sam, I don't know what's going on, but I think-"

He was interrupted as a puff of white overtook his vision.

Danny sputtered as a puff of flour left his mouth. "Did you really do that?"

A soft smile tugged her lips. "Yep, the best part of making homemade pizza was always the flour fights!"

Danielle began to laugh when her mother threw a handful at her, but thinking fast, she let the flour phase through her, hitting Tucker right in his pants.

"Hey! Do you know how hard it is to get flour off these things?" Tucker rushed for the bag as Sam pulled it away just in time.

Holding it high above her head, Sam kept it just out of his reach. The growth spurt some years back had been helpful in making her just an inch taller than the techno-geek— much to his dismay. "Oh, no! Don't think I'll let you have this after what almost happened to Lilith!"

Tucker glowered at her, giving in to defeat. "That was ten years ago and I gave the money back!"

"The cookies weren't even vegan, you monster!"

Danny looked to Sam with a confused look. "Wait, you name our daughter after a sack of flour!?"

Sam clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "No. I name her after the only _surviving_ sack of flour! She's a fighter and you know it!"

Jack came running in trying his best to catch his breath. "What's with all the commotion?"

Once again, he was unable to finish the sentence when he was hit in the belly with a rather large flour bomb. His left eye began to twitch with excitement. " _Oh,_ I've been waiting for this for a year!" He joyfully yelled at the top of his lungs:

"Maddie! _Code white!"_

The entire house went dark as the back of the living room wall slid to the side, revealing a sterile white room with an arsenal of plastic cannons lining the walls.

"This is where boys become men!" Jack yelled.

 _"Ahem!"_

Without missing a beat, "And girls become women and every color in between," Jack mumbled to himself.

Hesitantly, Danny spoke up,"Dad... How long have you had that there?"

He easily waved off his son. "Stuff your pie hole, boy! We mean business. So, how are we going to do this? Mad dash or teams?"

Sam smiled. "I would say boys versus girls, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't last 15 minutes."

Dan phased through the floor, arms crossed over his chest with his famous evil grin."'That a challenge? I've laid waste to entire nations an made people cower at the mention of my name!"

Izzy shot a sharp glare at her husband. "Calm down or sex is off the table for a month,"

Without missing a beat, Dan replied on command. "Yes, sweetie."

Looking around the group, Sam bobbed her head in a short nod. "So, it's the battle of boy's against girls."

Jazz came up the steps and let out a long sigh. "Yeah, more like girls versus overly large man-children."

Danny looked to his father putting on a flour-filled ammo belt, while Dan produced his old evil cape seemingly out of nowhere.

"Yeah, you have us there. _Going ghost!_ " Electrical green sparked from Danny's middle and traveled in opposite ways along his body, leaving him in his classic high school uniform.

"I thought we were done with that stupid catch-phrases. Grandpa, can we please give me another DNA test?"

Jack narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his granddaughter. "That'll be your fourth one this month."

"I know."

Ignoring her daughter's playful jests, Sam's eyes skimmed the length of the older halfa. "Wow, haven't seen that in a while."

Danny, for what seemed like the first time that week, genuinely beamed at her words. "Luckily, the suits still fit to whatever size you need."

Sam's small smile turned sinister. "Although, I think you fill some parts out a little better than back then." And with that, skipped off to join the other girls to plan out their battle sattergzes.

Jack held up his free hand to regain everyone's attention."Let's not get cocky— _oh, Dad_ — We may've gotten stronger in the past years, but so have they! We must work as a team if we wish to defeat them! Use their weaknesses against them!"

Danny looked to Jack. "Dad... Half of those women are our wives."

A steady pause as he filtered through his thoughts.

"Good point! Men, don't give into to _your_ weakness. They're crafty and'll do anything to win! Just like my honeymoon."

* * *

Tucker, Dan, Jack, JJ, and Danny were lined up behind the sofa, protective gear and weapons cocked, poised, and ready to fire at a moments notice.

While Maddie Jazz, Izzy, Danielle, Kath, and Sam had kicked the kitchen table on its side providing cover for their team.

Jazz accessed the security system, getting a good look at their opponents. "Izzy and Sam, you go upstairs, Mom, you take Kath to the lab and make sure not to hit Frostbite. Sam and Danielle, you two need to create a distraction with your men. Tucker is the brains over there, Danielle, it's your job to turn him into a pile of mush. Sam, Danny can adapt to anything, throw something at him he can't adapt to. Izzy... I don't want to know but I'm sure you have something in mind."

Izzy curled her lips into a devious grin.

Distracting herself from whatever was swimming through Izzy's mind— goodness knew what the two did in their private time— Jazz directed her attention to her mom. "Mom, try to get Dad and JJ in the lab. I'm sure you can think of something to get those children in there. Alright, let's get to it!"

Tucker looked at his team. "Just as I suspected, Jazz's using the security system. So, I hacked into it, putting our movements on a continuous loop. Danny, Sam knows you inside and out so you and Dan switch places and..."

Dan put a hand on Tucker's shoulder. "Ain't happening. My Izzy is too unpredictable and she might try some tactics that, well, let's just say should only be used on me." His eyes went to Danny. "Sorry, little bro, but I don't share."

Tucker went pale for a moment. "Alright, so Danny I'm just gonna ask you to be unpredictable while I try to not imagine Dan doing...Dan things."

He smirked at the way the tech geek would keep avoiding his gaze. "Smart of you."

"Jack and JJ, you know all the snack hiding spots in the lab. So, you'll use those to your advantage."

The two raised their hands to their heads giving Tucker an overacted salute.

Rolling his eyes as the five and sixty year old, Tucker scrolled through his tech, looking for any possible flaws in the plan. "I'll hold down the fort with my upgraded suit."

Pointing his index finger at his best friend, Danny spoke up. "Wait, are you talking about that ugly Iron man rip off you made back in college?"

Tucker's back stiffened in mock offense. "It was a masterpiece and you know it!"

Danny blankly stared at what he knew, would one day be, his future son-in-law. "You still have it in your parent's basement, don't you?"

Avoiding Danny's gaze, he continued to punch in secret codes of the house's security system."I don't want to talk about it." Tucker took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

He pressed a button on his smartwatch, causing the lights to flicker on and off while the two teams scattered. The only constant light being the weak glow from the tv playing the 24-hour news.

Danny and Dan immediately phased into the walls, hiding their presence from the rest of the house. Tucker pressed another button on his watch as a slim blue and yellow metal began to cover his body.

 _"Iron man ripoff!"_ Tucker could hear Danny's insult echo through the dark house.

"At least he's doing his part." He heard a loud bang as white blur rushed past his helmet.

Tucker smiled at his girlfriend's attempt. "Nice try, sweetie, but you'll have to try harder than that!"

Danielle ducked behind the table once more. "He's using his suit."

Jazz's eyebrow rose in surprise. Keeping in a low crouch, she double checked the heavy weapon in her hands— and the built-in security system in her helmet— making sure that it was locked and loaded for her next round for her armed targets. "You mean that ugly thing?"

"Yep."

Jazz sighed, shaking her head in frustration. "Well, crap. Knowing how many times Danny accidentally blasted him in it, it _has_ to be ghost proof."

Danielle looked to Jazz with a condescending look. "We fight ghost for a living."

Jazz's eye lit up at the reminder. "Oh, yeah."

Danielle gave a classic Sam eye roll and moved on with what they had to do next. "Anyway, it doesn't matter because he has a failsafe in effect that cancels it out. All I have to do is get close enough to him and put in the security code."

The redhead's brows knitted together. "Why would he have that?"

"In case Skull-Tec tried to steal it."

"Well, go get'em, tiger!"

"Ugh..."

* * *

Sam and Izzy lightly stepped through the upstairs hall, keeping a slow paced crawl with their backs pressed against each other their guns raised; ready to shoot at a moment's notice. "Come on, boys, don't you wanna show your girls a good time?"

The doors to either side of them creaked for a split second before it burst open as a blast of flour shot out at every entrance. The two women thumped to the ground avoiding the powder by mere inches.

Once the air cleared, Izzy jumped to her feet, pulling Sam up along with her. "Nice try, boys! But we both know we can kick your ass when it comes dodgeball... or flour in this case."

Looking behind her Izzy, could see the tall silhouette of her ghostly husband. Thinking fast, she dropped her flour gun and lifted her top as Dan stood frozen still. "Now, Sam!"

Without hesitation, Sam nailed Dan with a flour blast to the chest.

It took a moment for Dan to register what happened, but when it finally sunk in, he fell to the ground in a dramatic fashion, lifting his hand to his wife. "Tell our children…" a raspy, forced breath escaped his mouth, "that the last piece of pie is mine." His hand hit the ground as Sam just looked down in embarrassment

"I can't believe he fell for that."

Izzy hummed in agreement, clipping her weapon back into the belt at her waist. "Yeah, well, he's still Danny to a point."

* * *

The light's flickered in the depths of the basement as Frostbite howled in his sleep. "Gramma? Why is it scary at night?"

Maddie glanced down to her leg where the toddler clung fiercely to her leg with an iron-like grip. "Sweetie, it's only noon."

Kath's big golden eyes innocently looked up at the older woman, refusing to break from his hold on the leg. "Then why is dark?"

With no light, Maddie could barely make the outline of the computer monitors, lab beakers, Frostbite— who's howling was mellow out to a light whimper whenever a nightmare would sprout in his head—and other equipment scattered about the lab. "Well, we have all the blinds closed."

Kath didn't like the nocturnal darkness, she'd never mention it in front of her brother— because he'd make fun of her— but she was terrified of it. "Gramma, I'm scared of the dark."

Untangling Kath from her hold on the huntress's leg, Maddie gently settled the dark haired girl up right on the floor. Softly brushing back his bangs, she gave the most reassuring smile that she could as she rested her hand on Kath's shaking shoulders. "Sweetie, it's okay. It's only a game."

"Gramma, I wanna go home!"

"I know, hon. I know."

From out of the corner, Maddie could hear the giant footsteps of her husband run toward them as he picks Kath up in his arms and lifted her into the air twirling her with every bit of grace in his big bones. He would do anything to wipe the fear off of his granddaughter's little face.

"Grammpa?"

Jack smiled upon hearing her voice become happy once more. "What is it, sweetheart?"

Jack flinched when his vision filled with white.

"You too easy."

Jack gently set down the little trickster wiping the flour from his eyes.

Maddie just smiled. "One of the _many_ reasons why I love you. You never sit by while children cry."

* * *

Jazz's voice came over the speaker system. "Alright, girls, two down! Keep it up!"

Danielle phased through the kitchen table and slowly, tauntingly, struttered toward Tucker, an all too knowing smile reflecting on her face. "Sweetie, don't you want to give your love a kiss?"

"I don't know…..maybe you should take a trip to the _powder room!_ " Tucker's suit sprouted a gigantic cannon— releasing a high pitch screech as it quickly powered up— blasting through Danielle in her phased state and coating both Jazz and the entire kitchen in a thick layer of flour.

"Supreme leader down, girls! Avenge the supreme leader!"

* * *

Back in the basement Maddie and Kath looked all over for JJ, but to no avail.

"Honey..." Maddie pleaded. "Where's our grandson hiding?"

With his nose to the air, arms crossed stubbornly over his chest, Jack wouldn't meet his wife's, nor his granddaughter's begging eyes. "You'll never find him. He's the only one in the entire family who knows where all of my snack hiding spots are. Heck, I remembered when he found my stash of 1985 twinkies. Ah, aged to perfection."

Maddie's eyes lit up with glee as she hummed thoughtfully. "Stomach eating bacteria aside, he's five and the house was destroyed months before he was even born! How did they-"

Jack interrupted her. "When something's important enough, you find a way. Besides, when he's up to his twix, nobody can stop him... Trust me, I've tried."

Ding. She had him. "Wait, did you say Twix?"

His face sunk at the realization of his slip up. _"No_! I said tricks, not Twix."

Placing her hands on her hips, Maddie shot him a victorious smile. "Oh, nice try, sweetie. But I know that you keep your twix stash in the server room."

Jack's nose scrunched in mock anger as he tried to downplay his evident defeat. "Well, yeah, it's the only place where it doesn't melt but doesn't freeze the caramel either. But you won't find him in there! He's far too crafty."

Maddie padded her way across the room to where a door where she knew her grandson would be hiding behind. Grinning so much to the point where it hurt her face, Maddie slowly twisted the lock open, and peaked her head in.

Only to have a handful of flour puffed in her face.

Jack was bent over in his seat, howling with laughter as he gave his knee a few quick slaps from the scene that played before him. "Good one, JJ! She fell for it hook line and sinker!"

The little five year old held his little blaster proudly, his blue eyes shone with uncontainable excitement. "Got you, granma!" JJ let out in a triumphant yell.

However, the cute moment was cut short as the serves behind them let out a loud hiss as sparks flew from the towers.

Maddie quickly scooped up JJ in a flash and slammed the door shut before anything could happen to the tiny halfa. With him still in her arms she rested her back on the wall sliding down and resting on the floor as the wall-sized monitor bathed her in its harsh light.

Jack looked up at the screen in horror. "Maddie, we need the kids down here, now."

The entire family had made it down the steps— minus Jazz, who promptly hitched both kids on either side of her hip and rushed them out of the room— without slipping on the copious amount of flour that was scattered all over the house.

"What are those?" Danny asked.

Tucker's eyes were blown wide open as his gaze remained locked onto the screen. "Factories. Conversion factories."

Danny tried to choke down the ball of spite that rose in his throat. "You don't mean…."

Without moving his eyes from the monitor, Tucker simply answered, "Those people in his mansion, the "Drainers." They were his test. He feeds off of the negative charged ecto radiation."

A dry chuckle fell from Danielle's lips. "You know, I feel that should sound a lot scarier than what it is."

In acknowledgment to his girlfriend's words, Tucker continued. "He feeds off negativity. The more miserable a person is when they die, the more powerful he becomes. These factories, they're not meant to convert, they're meant to charge them with so much ecto that they just fall apart."

No one dared to move as the static of tension that lingered heavily in the air.

Coughing away the bundle of nerves, Danny glanced around the room before his eyes returned to Tucker's back. "But who would fall for something like that?"

"People who're desperate, people who have tried everything else, people without hope."

"So, basically it's the perfect combination."

"Yeah... When I was in his head he kept the charade going even when he had everything. He's never going to stop."

Danny looked to his family and finally realized what he had been missing in all of this. "I have to stop him and it doesn't matter what it takes anymore. He can't do this and I can't stop until he's down. This isn't about me anymore. This isn't about my morals or what I stand for... It isn't about me. It's about all of you and the people of this world. Even if he kills me, this has to end. _He_ has to end."

His words shattered Danielle's statue-like state, and motivated her to step up to him. "Dad, you're not a killer, you don't have to do that. We can find a way to put a stop to this and-"

"Danielle, I know what you mean, and where you're coming from. When I was presented with Dan again, I was willing to take his life but the more thought about what I would be doing, I thought about what that would do to me."

Dan looked to his younger counterpart with empathy. "Danny, if you go that far, it leaves a stain that can never be washed away, no matter how hard you try. If you have me-"

With whiplash speed, Danny cranked his neck to look directly at Dan. "No! You've lived that life and now have two amazing children that need a father. Even if you survive, I'm not putting that on you. This is my burden to bare. My mark to make. Not you, not Danielle, not anyone in this room."

Danny took a moment to deeply consider his next words. "All of you have made me what I am today. I couldn't have asked for a better family and if I don't make it out of this, I need you to continue doing that for DJ and Lilith. Danielle, you are so much more than anything I could ever hope to become. You have always made me proud and I know that you will be better than me in every way. Mom, Dad, you're the best parents a kid could ever ask for and Jazz you are the smartest person I know."

"Hey!" Tucker interrupted.

Turning back to the techno-geek, he pulled him into a quick hug. "Tucker... You are and forever shall be, my best friend. I'm so happy for you and Danielle. But if I had to say one thing, don't wait anymore."

Tucker pulled back, shock clearly written across his face. "Wait... How did you know."

Danny patted his shoulder. "Well, to put it simply I'm not oblivious anymore."

They were both fighting back the tears that started to burn their eyes, but for Tucker, it was a losing battle. "I love you, man."

"Same."

Danny turned to Sam. "Sam... I'm sorry we waited so long. I wish we had stopped pretending and just accepted we loved each other from the beginning."

Sam grabbed his shirt and pulled him into her embrace kissing him with all her passion and all her pain. "I wouldn't change a thing, idiot."

The rest of the family did their best to hold back tears until Maddie finally broke the silence., dabbing at the tears that had spilled over. "It's late, maybe we should head to bed."

Looking at the clock everyone noticed that the time was now 10:00 pm.

Danny's eyes squinted in surprise at the clock that displayed the late hour. "How the heck did that happen?"

Danielle protectively wrapped her arms around herself. "Clockwork and Lilith are busy preparing for what might happen. Keeping someone from a dead timeline alive is a lot of work and can sometimes cause a couple glitches."

Tucker didn't look convinced. "Yeah, or we just never changed the batteries in the clocks."

"The point is, we need our rest."

Every member of the family made their way up to their rooms. Not a sound was made as each member wished not to close their doors that night for fear that they would not see their hero when they opened them in the morning.

Danny stopped in front of his and Sam's door, looking down the hall to all the other rooms. Taking in the moment, he closed the door one last time, gathering the woman in front of him into his arms, for what could be, his last night.

Because no matter what the day may bring, he would make sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that his wife knew how much he loved her, how much he cared, _treasured_ the woman that he had in his arms.

The woman who was the mother of his child, no matter how weird she came into being— and future children, if he survived— whatever the battle would bring, she needed to know, to _understand_ what she meant to him.

He could scream it at the top of his lungs for the whole world to hear, and that wouldn't begin to scratch of the place she held in his heart.

And in the end, as cheesy as he knew it was, he didn't care what the world thought, what the world could not possibly ever understand. Because the woman in his arms, did. She knew the love he felt, and gave her entire heart to him in return.

Neither allowed this to be a goodbye. Not the soft kisses, careful touches, or the memorable looks embedded in their eyes. This just couldn't be the last time.

But even if it turned out to be so, the smallest— or biggest— possibility that things wouldn't turn out and Danny would just be gone the next day, they both took a second to banish the terrifying thought. That was neither here nor now. For now, they would enjoy the now and leave tomorrow for tomorrow.

Just for a moment, just for _one_ night.

It was a night so short, yet, it would last forever.

* * *

 **Hmmmmm. Wonder what Sam and Danny could be up to. ;)**

 **Poor Danny. He knows what he must do, even if it ends up with a world without him. Lets see how things start to play out, shall we?**


End file.
